My approach to stop the ever increasing number of boats is so simple, the boats are nearly all going to Christmas island and a few to Cocos Island which are much much closer to Indonesia than Australia and have no value to Australia. So why not give the Islands to Indonesia, problem solved. Very few of those boats would be capable of reaching the Australian mainland. What do others think.

@Philips,

<<So why not give the Islands to Indonesia, problem solved. Very few of those boats would be capable of reaching the Australian mainland. What do others think>>

All that would mean would be greater revenue for Garuda or Malaysian airlines ---how so?

The moment you ceded Cocos Island and Christmas Islands.
Garuda and or Malaysian airlines would extend their routes to accommodate the new territories.

Then the “asylum seekers” would fly into Cocos or Christmas Island.
Where upon they would ditch their papers , don poor-me clothing and boat the rest of the way to OZ.

What would be your response if some enterprising people smugglers in South America or Africa started landing their clients in Tasmania?

If we persisted with your strategy pretty soon all Ozzies would be relegated to Pinchgut island in the middle of Sydney Harbour : http://tinyurl.com/c8s84zw

I don't think much of the idea.
They used to go to Ashmore Reef but changed to Christmas Island because
it has better facilities.
They are quite capable of reaching the mainland anyway.
At least with Christmas Island we know where they are and are not wandering around in NW Western Australia.

The thought is of huge value.
If as it looks it is to make us laugh.
Indonesia , not the home of these people, would not take them.
If they did? we would be giving them Darwin next?

Perhaps we should have given Nauru and Christmas Island over to the Americans for their little war games, rather than hosting them on the mainland .... ;)

Why not stop invading their countries illegally and let them prosper?Then there would be no need to come here.