Terror threat justifies immigration crackdown - Howard

Terrorists could sneak into Australia among boatloads of asylum seekers, prime minister John Howard hinted today, as both the government and the opposition faced growing criticism over their harsh stance on refugees.

In an interview with Brisbane’s Courier Mail newspaper, Howard argued that his government’s new policy of refusing entry to asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat was justified in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.