Refugee advocate praises Indon deal

A prominent refugee advocate has praised the federal government's cash boost to organisations processing asylum claims in Indonesia in an effort to deter people smuggling.

Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews on Thursday revealed the government would give the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees $450,000 to employ extra staff and assess more asylum claims in Indonesia.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will get an extra $7 million from Australia to improve care and support for asylum seekers while they are held in detention in Indonesia.

Independent Council for Refugee Advocacy spokeswoman Marion Le on Friday broadly welcomed the initiative, while questioning some aspects of the deal.

She said improving the processing of asylum seekers in Indonesia would deter asylum seekers from risking their lives on the high seas.

"Refugees will be better off if they don't have to put to sea in boats and risk their lives like those on the SIEV-X," Ms Le said.

"Anything that can be done to alleviate that risk is a good thing.

"It should help sort out people who are genuine from those who are not."

However, Ms Le criticised the allocation of $7 million to the IOM, which she described as a "glorified travel agency".

"The IOM simply warehouses people. Does that mean we're going to establish detention centres in Indonesia?" she said.

"That should be seriously looked at."

Mr Andrews has previously indicated he wants Indonesia to play a greater role in helping to deter people smugglers, who offer asylum seekers passage to Australia on leaky boats in return for a fee.

He announced the increased cooperation with Jakarta after meeting with Indonesia's Law and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaludin and Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

Australia and Indonesia also will establish a joint taskforce of immigration and police agencies to deter people smuggling.

Another refugee group, Project SafeCom, said the initiative appeared to be a further attempt to block refugees from seeking asylum in Australia.

"This initiative has all the hallmarks of carting bucketloads of money to Indonesia so it will do Australia's bidding and warehouse refugees who want to make the crossing into Australia," spokesman Jack Smit said.

A group of 82 Sri Lankan asylum seekers intercepted near Christmas Island earlier this year are having their claims processed on Nauru.

Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said Labor broadly supported the proposal to step up processing of asylum seekers in Indonesia.

"Cooperation between Australia and Indonesia is absolutely crucial if we are to prevent people putting their lives at risk on the high seas," Mr Burke said.

"People-smuggling is a regional problem that needs to be tackled with regional solutions."

The excision of Christmas Island from Australia's migration zone had helped deter people-smuggling, he said.

© 2007 AAP