The Claim
“Illegally paid people smugglers money to turn boats around, in order to disrupt their business model.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
Payment Allegations - Substantiated
Evidence strongly indicates that Australian officials did pay money to people smuggler crews as part of Operation Sovereign Borders. According to an Amnesty International investigation, in May 2015, Australian Border Force officials paid six crew members USD $32,000 (approximately AUD $45,000) to take 65 asylum seekers to Indonesia instead of New Zealand [1]. The crew members were in Indonesian police custody at the time of Amnesty's interviews, and Indonesian police confirmed they found that exact amount in US $100 bills on the crew when arrested [1].
Witness testimony from passengers supported these claims, with at least one asylum seeker stating they witnessed the transaction [1]. Indonesian courts subsequently accepted this evidence as fact during prosecutions of the crew, with judges taking as fact that the smugglers had "received money from Australian customs" [2].
The "Illegally" Claim - Not Legally Determined
The claim that these payments were "illegal" lacks definitive legal confirmation. While Amnesty International alleged the payments constituted a "transnational crime" under the UN Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants [1], no Australian court or independent legal authority has ruled the payments illegal. The government maintained that Operation Sovereign Borders officers acted lawfully, with then-Immigration Minister Scott Morrison stating officers "always act lawfully" [3].
No prosecutions were initiated against Australian officials, and no parliamentary inquiry concluded the payments violated Australian law. The claim of illegality represents an advocacy position (primarily from Amnesty International and refugee advocates) rather than an established legal finding [1][2].
Missing Context
The Humanitarian Crisis Preceding the Policy
The claim omits the humanitarian disaster that prompted the Coalition's hardline policies. Under the previous Labor Government (2007-2013), which discontinued boat turnbacks, approximately 50,000 asylum seekers arrived by boat on 800+ vessels, and an estimated 1,200+ people died at sea attempting to reach Australia [4][5][6]. The Australian Border Deaths Database at Monash University documents approximately 1,138 deaths during Labor's six years in office [4].
Labor's Subsequent Policy Reversal
In July 2015, just weeks after the payment allegations emerged, Labor Leader Bill Shorten formally reversed Labor's position and adopted boat turnbacks as official policy [7]. Shorten explicitly acknowledged: "a terrible loss of life took place on Labor's watch" and admitted the Coalition's turnback policy had "saved lives" [7][8]. By 2015, both major parties supported boat turnbacks, making this a bipartisan policy position rather than a uniquely Coalition approach.
The "On-Water Matters" Policy
The claim fails to acknowledge that the government maintained secrecy around "on-water matters" as a deliberate operational strategy to prevent people smugglers from adapting to specific tactics. This secrecy applied to all operational details, not just payments [3].
Multiple Payment Incidents Alleged
Amnesty International documented evidence suggesting payments may have occurred in at least two separate incidents - May 2015 and July 2015 - indicating this was potentially a systematic approach rather than an isolated incident [1][2].
Source Credibility Assessment
Sydney Morning Herald (SMH)
SMH is a mainstream Australian newspaper with center-left editorial leanings. Media Bias/Fact Check rates SMH as "left-center" bias with "high" factual reporting credibility [9]. While generally reliable, SMH endorsed Labor in the 2013 and 2016 elections, suggesting potential partisan alignment on border protection issues. The June 2015 article was factual reporting based on Abbott's non-denial when questioned.
CNN
CNN is an international mainstream news outlet with mixed reliability ratings. Media Bias/Fact Check rates CNN as "left" bias with "mixed" factual reporting due to some failed fact checks [10]. Their coverage was derivative of Australian reporting and presented the allegations without independent verification.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is a respected human rights advocacy organization with high factual standards but clear advocacy positioning. Their investigation was thorough, including interviews with crew, passengers, and Indonesian officials, plus documentary evidence (photos, video, the actual money). However, their legal conclusion that payments constituted a "transnational crime" represents an advocacy interpretation rather than an established legal finding [1][2].
Labor Comparison
Did Labor Do Something Similar?
Direct equivalent: No. Between 2007 and 2013, the Labor Government (Rudd/Gillard) explicitly rejected boat turnbacks, dismantled the Pacific Solution, and did not pay people smugglers. No comparable payment allegations exist from this period.
Alternative approach with similar humanitarian consequences: Labor's policy of not turning back boats resulted in 800+ boat arrivals, 50,000+ asylum seekers, and an estimated 1,200+ deaths at sea [4][5][6]. Labor also re-established offshore detention centers on Nauru and Manus Island in 2012-2013 as a deterrent [6].
Subsequent adoption of Coalition policy: By July 2015, Labor explicitly adopted boat turnbacks as official policy, with Shadow Immigration Minister Richard Marles writing that "offshore processing and regional resettlement together with the Coalition's policy of turn-backs is what actually stopped the boats" [7][8].
Comparative Analysis
| Metric | Labor (2007-2013) | Coalition (2013-2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Boat turnbacks | None | 38+ boats returned (2013-2021) [11] |
| Boat arrivals | 800+ vessels | Virtually eliminated after 2014 |
| Deaths at sea | ~1,200+ | Dramatically reduced [4][5] |
| Offshore detention | Re-established 2012 | Continued |
| Payments to smugglers | None alleged | Alleged in 2015 |
Key finding: Both governments pursued harsh deterrent policies with significant human rights concerns. Labor's "open border" approach (2007-2012) resulted in mass deaths at sea. The Coalition's turnback policy stopped deaths but involved alleged payments to smugglers and put asylum seekers at risk through pushbacks.
Balanced Perspective
Policy Rationale
The Coalition's Operation Sovereign Borders, launched in September 2013, had three stated objectives: (1) stop people smuggling operations, (2) prevent deaths at sea, and (3) protect Australian borders. On metrics 1 and 2, the policy was extraordinarily successful - boat arrivals virtually ceased after 2014, and deaths at sea dropped to near-zero [11][12].
The alleged payments to crew members fit within a broader strategy of disrupting people smuggling networks. By paying crews to return to Indonesia (with their passengers), Australian officials: (1) prevented a dangerous journey to Australia, (2) ensured the vessel did not attempt another crossing, (3) disrupted the smuggling operation at its source, and (4) avoided the need for costly detention and processing.
Criticisms and Concerns
Critics, including Amnesty International and UNHCR, argue that:
- Paying people smugglers potentially funds further criminal operations [1]
- The practice may constitute a transnational crime under international law [1]
- Pushbacks violate the principle of non-refoulement (not returning refugees to potential persecution) [1]
- Secrecy around operations prevents accountability [2]
- Forcing asylum seekers onto under-equipped vessels endangers lives [1]
Expert Analysis
The payment allegations raise genuine legal and ethical concerns. However, the alternative - not intercepting boats - resulted in 1,200+ deaths under Labor's watch. The policy dilemma presents a genuine moral trade-off: harsh deterrents that save lives versus humanitarian approaches that result in deaths through drownings.
By 2015, Labor acknowledged this trade-off by adopting turnbacks. The bipartisan consensus suggests both major parties concluded that preventing deaths at sea required measures that human rights advocates find objectionable.
Is This Unique to the Coalition?
No. While the specific tactic of paying smugglers was unique to the Coalition, harsh border protection measures were adopted by both parties. Labor's offshore detention policy (re-established 2012) continues to this day and has been criticized by the same human rights organizations that criticized the Coalition's payment allegations [6].
PARTIALLY TRUE
6.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate regarding payments: credible evidence from multiple sources (passenger testimony, crew interviews, Indonesian court records, and police evidence) supports that Australian officials paid people smuggler crews approximately USD $32,000 in at least one documented incident in May 2015 [1][2].
However, the claim's assertion that these payments were "illegal" is an unproven allegation rather than an established legal fact. No court has ruled the payments illegal, and no prosecutions occurred [3]. The characterization reflects advocacy positions rather than legal determinations.
Most importantly, the claim omits critical context: (1) the humanitarian disaster under Labor that preceded these policies (~1,200 deaths at sea), (2) Labor's subsequent adoption of the same turnback policy in 2015, and (3) the genuine policy dilemma between harsh deterrents and preventing deaths at sea.
The claim frames the payments as uniquely Coalition misconduct when, in reality, both major parties pursued harsh border protection measures with significant human costs - Labor's approach resulted in mass drownings while the Coalition's approach involved alleged payments to smugglers and pushbacks.
Final Score
6.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The claim is factually accurate regarding payments: credible evidence from multiple sources (passenger testimony, crew interviews, Indonesian court records, and police evidence) supports that Australian officials paid people smuggler crews approximately USD $32,000 in at least one documented incident in May 2015 [1][2].
However, the claim's assertion that these payments were "illegal" is an unproven allegation rather than an established legal fact. No court has ruled the payments illegal, and no prosecutions occurred [3]. The characterization reflects advocacy positions rather than legal determinations.
Most importantly, the claim omits critical context: (1) the humanitarian disaster under Labor that preceded these policies (~1,200 deaths at sea), (2) Labor's subsequent adoption of the same turnback policy in 2015, and (3) the genuine policy dilemma between harsh deterrents and preventing deaths at sea.
The claim frames the payments as uniquely Coalition misconduct when, in reality, both major parties pursued harsh border protection measures with significant human costs - Labor's approach resulted in mass drownings while the Coalition's approach involved alleged payments to smugglers and pushbacks.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (12)
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1
By hook or by crook: Australia's abuse of asylum seekers at sea - Amnesty International Report
We are Amnesty International UK. We are ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights.
New report -
2
Operation Sovereign Borders: Cash payments and abuse - Senate Committee submission
Amnesty International has appeared before a Senate Committee today to shed further light on Australia’s secretive Operation Sovereign Borders, following
Amnesty International Australia -
3
Operation Sovereign Borders officers acted 'lawfully': Morrison
Officers involved in Operation Sovereign Borders always act lawfully, former immigration minister Scott Morrison insists.
SBS News -
4
FactCheck: did 1200 refugees die at sea under Labor?
It is broadly correct to say 1200 asylum seekers died at sea under Labor. Globally and in our region, however, more asylum seekers than ever are leaving their country by boat.
The Conversation -
5
FactCheck: Have more than 1000 asylum seekers died at sea?
The 1000 deaths of asylum seekers at sea figure regularly cited by politicians and the media is broadly correct, writes Sara Davies.
SBS News -
6
The chequered history of Labor and boats
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten is facing fierce internal opposition and savage criticism from refugee groups over his support for boat turnbacks.
SBS News -
7
Bill Shorten wants Labor to adopt boat turn-backs under party's asylum seeker policy
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he has had to face the truth that turning back people smuggling boats has saved lives, confirming he wants Labor to change its asylum seeker policy and support turn-backs.
Abc Net -
8
Labor votes for boat turnback policy
Bill Shorten’s decision to support asylum seeker boat turn-backs was adopted after a hotly contested vote at the ALP conference.
Thenewdaily Com -
9
The Sydney Morning Herald - Bias and Credibility
LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording
Media Bias/Fact Check -
10
CNN - Bias and Credibility
LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording
Media Bias/Fact Check -
11
Boat Turnbacks by Australia - Statistics
Asylum Insight
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12
How does Australia's boat turnbacks policy work, and has it changed?
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has seized on the recent arrival to warn an "armada" is on its way and has accused the government of weakening Operation Sovereign Borders. But has it?
Abc Net
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.