The federal government yesterday announced it had struck a deal with the Palmer United Party to pass legislation which will potentially allow some asylum seekers to gain permanent Australian residency by a re-introduction of temporary protection visas.

As part of the deal, the government will also introduce a new five-year visa – called the Safe Haven Enterprise Visa – that will allow asylum seekers to eventually apply for other onshore visas.

It effectively means asylum seekers currently housed on Christmas Island could eventually be granted permanent mainland residency if they meet a series of requirements.

What is difficult to assess on the information available is just how tough those requirements might be, particularly in reference to people who come to Australia with no connections, no money and few skills.

The legislation is further restricted to only people already in Australia and found to be genuine refugees.

Digging down into the detail, what the government may consider as a more reasonable approach is unlikely to have those opposing shouting from the rooftops in support.

With good reason, as the Australian government’s policy approach to the treatment of asylum seekers has been no more than disjointed and ineffective in recent years.

What is also intriguing about the government’s legislation is that it seeks to remove direct references to the United Nations refugee convention, rather than invoke interpretations of what is expected under the same protocols.

This is clearly to reduce the criticism of Australia’s policies on the world stage and is a sure signal that the hardline approach to border protection and assessments of asylum seekers is likely to continue under the current regime.

On Friday, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison will sign off on a new deal with Cambodia to resettle asylum seekers, extending arrangements Australia now has with other regional countries.

While the move to revise the notion of protection visas might be seen as a bright spot, the overall canvas remains dark and unsupportive of our role in an ongoing and expanding global problem.