August 2, 2011 - 10:54AM
AAP
Online videos of asylum seekers boarding planes to Malaysia will be posted on YouTube and Facebook in an effort to discourage asylum seekers making the dangerous boat journey to Australia.
The planned online blitz follows last week's signing of the people swap deal with Malaysia.
Under the plan, Malaysia will accept up to 800 asylum seekers arriving by boat in return for Australia taking 4000 processed refugees.
The first boatload earmarked for Malaysia, with 54 asylum seekers on board, arrived on Sunday and is heading to Christmas Island to be processed.
Immigration department spokesman Sandi Logan said the footage would send a powerful message to people smugglers and their customers that the game was up.
"We will be filming from the moment they carry their bags on the bus from the detention centre," he told News Limited.
"Some of the people we are dealing with may be not overly literate so seeing people being loaded on to a plane, people being checked into a processing centre is as strong a message as you can send."
He said asylum seekers and smugglers were "very net savvy".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters that the videos would provide transparency.
Riot police were training on Christmas Island on Monday in preparation for assisting with the first transfer of asylum seekers to Malaysia, under the new people swap deal
She said their training activities were a police operational matter.
"My view is people will be given instructions to board a plane, they should obey the instructions," she said.
Ms Gillard has refused to comment on how much force the Australian Federal Police have been authorised to use if asylum seekers refuse to co-operate.
She would not confirm reports that there was a single child travelling with their family on the first boat that is earmarked for Malaysia.
Refugee advocates have raised concerns about sending children to Malaysia but the government has maintained there will be no blanket exemptions.
"In terms of who is on the boat, I think that is best dealt with when people get to Christmas Island and disembark the boat," Ms Gillard said.
© 2011 AAP
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