Prime Minister Julia Gillard is facing an embarrassing parliamentary defeat at the hands of its minority government partner, the Greens, over a proposed asylum-seeker swap with Malaysia.

The Federal Parliament is set to condemn the government’s Kuala Lumpur deal that involves Australia sending 800 asylum-seekers to Malaysia in exchange for accepting 4,000 genuine refugees, mainly Burmese.

The Australian Senate passed a Greens motion yesterday, calling on the government to abandon the plan and it was likely the Lower House would follow suit later this month, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Greens Member of Parliament Adam Bandt said he would introduce the same motion into the House of Representatives and the opposition, led by Tony Abbott, has promised to back it.

With Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie onside, too, it should pass, regardless of how the three other independent MPs vote.

    

The Greens believe sending asylum-seekers who arrive by boat to Malaysia is inhumane and an abrogation of Australia’s international obligations.

But the Greens will not withdraw its support for Gillard if the government doesn’t change tack.

“We are mindful that the approach of Tony Abbott and (opposition immigration spokesperson) Scott Morrison and his crew is one that is far darker,” said Bandt.

Morrison said the opposition would support Bandt’s motion.

“We might have different reasons for condemning this (Malaysia) deal but the deal is condemned.”

- Bernama