Mr NUGENT —My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I draw the minister's attention to the serious issue of increased people smuggling into Aus tralia. Would the minister inform the House of the government's diplomatic efforts at the international level to stop this flow of illegal immigrants to our shores?

Mr DOWNER (Foreign Affairs) —I thank the honourable member for his question and recognise the interest and concern he has about this issue, as indeed do many members of the House. The government, through our overseas posts, has launched a wide-ranging international campaign against people smuggling. We have been particularly engaged with authorities and with the police in both Indonesia and China. The Australian ambassador to Indonesia, John McCarthy, has discussed the issue with the new Indonesian ministers for legal and constitutional affairs and defence. Both of them acknowledge the problem, and they have been receptive to further cooperation. Indeed, the Jakarta police have told us that they recently broke into a passport forgery ring and seized 180 passports, 55 visa stamps, hundreds of blank visa labels and false identifications from a document forger.

The House will be familiar with the fact that the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs recently visited China. He received reaffirmations of Chinese support and cooperation in cracking down on people smuggling rackets. Other relevant posts, including Amman, Athens, Bangkok, Islamabad and Tehran, are raising with their host governments Australia's serious concerns and are asking for cooperation in stamping out the trade. They have also been disseminating information kits outlining Australia's position and the dangers and new penalties involved.

When I was in Nakhon Si Thammarat last week in Thailand I discussed increased cooperation in this field with the Thai government. The Thai authorities have, for some time, been very cooperative and in two major raids in September seized over 1,000 counterfeit passports as well as document producing equipment. So the government is very active in this area and we will continue that activism to ensure that our efforts are successful.