Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?
title Image copyright Reuters Image caption Hundreds have died trying to reach Australia in inadequate and overcrowded boats Australia's policy on asylum seekers has come under intense scrutiny. The BBC explains why. Does Australia get a lot of asylum seekers? Australia's humanitarian intake has remained relatively steady over the last 20 years, with around 12,000 to 13,000 people typically accepted every year. In 2015-16, Australia accepted 13,750 people through its humanitarian programme and committed to a one-time acceptance of an additional 12,000 refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq. Asylum seekers have attempted to reach Australia on boats from Indonesia, often paying large sums of money to people smugglers. Hundreds have died making the dangerous journey. At its peak, 18,000 people arrived in Australia illegally by sea. However the numbers plummeted after the government introduced tough new policies to "stop the boats". Image copyright AFP