The Federal Government's insistence on finding another country to take the 78 asylum seekers on the Oceanic Viking looks more and more unworkable by the day, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Immigration and Human Rights, says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's much-vaunted "tough but humane'' approach to asylum seekers is being further exposed every day as bad policy.

"First we were told Indonesia was the solution to the case of the 78 asylum seekers on board the Oceanic Viking,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"Then when the Indonesians diverted from the script the Government asked our neighbours in New Zealand to bail us out. Now we hear that the Philippines may be asked to take these vulnerable people.

"If it wasn't already obvious from day one that the best, the most sensible and humane option was to bring the Oceanic Viking home - this four-week farce has made that abundantly clear.

"The Greens have talked all along about finding a practical, long-term and humane solution. Unfortunately, the Government's approach to this issue has never been practical and is getting less humane and more desperate and dangerous by the day.''

The Indonesian Government has said that the present extension - which expires on Friday - allowing the Viking to stay in Indonesian waters will be the last. The asylum seekers have said they have decided to stay on board and not to disembark in Indonesia.

Senator Hanson-Young says the number of viable solutions to this impasse are rapidly dwindling to one.

"Kevin Rudd is a career diplomat, but he has shown a surprising lack of tactical awareness on this issue,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.

"By his actions, the Prime Minister has made one boat into a crisis. If cooler heads had prevailed, the 78 asylum seekers might already have begun having their asylum claims processed.''

"Mr Rudd needs to start showing that his humane approach to asylum seekers is more than mere words.''