There has been a polarised and emotional debate in Australia over the issue of asylum seekers arriving by boat.
To further understanding of the asylum issue, the Scanlon Foundation surveys have considered if Australians draw a distinction between asylum seekers applying overseas and those who arrived in Australian waters by boat and then claimed asylum. In 2012 three out of four respondents (75%) were positive to asylum seekers who arrived after having been assessed overseas. In 2016, 80% were positive to those who were assessed overseas.