I think that Professor Dauvergne, who will testify before you, will be able to tell you about the Australian experience. My understanding is that people bring their wife, their children and other vulnerable members of their family on the boat or other potentially dangerous means of transportation, as they don't want to be separated from them for years on end. If family reunification is prohibited after boats arrive, the consequences of that separation, psychologically speaking, can be very significant. Actually, the Supreme Court has already stated that separating people from their children is a constitutional issue. Only time will tell how this issue will be addressed and whether that will be done as part of those designations, but at first sight, it is problematic.
On May 1st, 2012. See this statement in context.