[Vatican Radio] Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has declined to comment on reports the navy paid a group of people-smugglers thousands of dollars to turn around their boat packed with asylum-seekers. Media in Australia and Indonesia [last] week reported that people-smugglers on a boat carrying 65 asylum-seekers were paid to abandon their journey to Australia and return to Indonesia after being intercepted at sea.

Prime Minister Abbott has admitted using what he calls "creative" strategies” to stop migrant boats, but has refused to go into detail. Under Australia's controversial policies, no migrants and asylum seekers are allowed to reach its territories by boat. They are instead intercepted at sea and turned back or taken to detention facilities on the island nation of Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

Archbishop Philip Freier is primate of the Anglican Church in Australia and has been an outspoken critic of his government’s immigration detention policies. He told Philippa Hitchen it’s important to have greater transparency about how these border patrols are being carried out….

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