Asylum Seekers
You learn a lot about people when the pressure is on.
Some interesting facts emerged recently about what really happened during those extraordinary four weeks last year when the Oceanic Viking abandoned our Patagonian tooth fish to become home to 78 Tamil asylum seekers.
During these events the debate raged about who knew what and when. Where would they go and on what terms? The answers to many of these questions came to light during recent questioning in Senate estimates.
With detention facilities on Christmas Island getting closer and closer to capacity, and a Federal election looming, the issue of desperate people seeking asylum on Australian shores remains a hotbed of cheap political point-scoring at the expense of some of the world’s neediest people.
Disappointingly, the term “queue jumper” is now so deeply entrenched in our nation’s vernacular that some Australian politicians use it interchangeably with the term “asylum seeker”.
Let me be clear and point out that two are not synonymous. In fact, the queue is a myth.
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Your name:Noemie says:
I can’t understand while in having been in contact with these individuals and families you can be so influenced by rumors. You talk about the “benefit of the doubt” rule for all asylum seekers coming. i do not think any body who has nothing to fear for his safety in… Read more »
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John says:
Robert King@ Mate, I’m not sure if you could have seen me, wearing those thick rose coloured glasses. But I think I would have noticed you in your Pollyanna outfit. Read more »
Who knew the lower north shore of Sydney was a hunting ground for anti-immigrationists. This flyer popped up in mail boxes last weekend in more than one apartment block, in more than one suburb. Unauthorised of course, and probably the work of a nutter.
But it’s an election year, and these things don’t tend to happen in a vacuum. During the next six months there’ll be a lot more of this rubbish peddled by those outside the political mainstream.
Scott Morrison has requested we be able to debate immigration without labeling people racist. That’s more than fair. But keeping the debate clean is a two way street.
Continue reading "Want to lose “racist” from the debate, lose the racism" »
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J Citizen says:
“Lose the racism”? The leaflet never had any, and you still call it racist anyway. You call it “rubbish/garbage” from a “nutter”. But let’s not have any name-calling, eh? Read more »
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Craig Hendry says:
It is always a concern when people (population) is viewed as a problem rather than a solution, and “policy” is formed from that type of perspective. Read more »
Marty Natalegawa is a consummate diplomat. The Indonesian Foreign Minister is also his country’s former representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the UK.
At the age of 46 he has done more than most top diplomats do in an entire career. Now he’s the Foreign Minister.
On Tuesday this week I interviewed Marty Natelagawa in his Jakarta offices. In a long line of difficult issues between Australia and Indonesia, people smuggling has been the most awkward in recent months, so of course I had to begin our discussion on just that.
Continue reading "This man may be our best ally against people smugglers" »
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Anjuli says:
I have watched the decline of society in the last 40 years of being in Australia where once we had law and order now we are slowly getting to an unlawful one .It seems the more people we get the more violent crime. Also infrastructure has not kept up with… Read more »
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boat people? says:
The ‘boat people’ are but a few. What about the 1000’s of others that do not come view a boat that fine their way on our land. Funny how they have all the legal credentials, that are illegal by-the-way by the way. There are of our Australian people and in… Read more »
Last week I returned from a visit to Christmas Island to Parliament where the Labor Member MP, John Sullivan, from Longman in Brisbane, interjected during a speech and called me a racist.
At the time, I was speaking to an Appropriations Bill that was seeking additional funds to make up for shortfalls in this year’s budget. Included in these shortfalls was $132 million for off shore processing of asylum seekers. We were supporting the Bill.
I noted that the 100 per cent plus blow out in costs demonstrated the Government had failed to appreciate the impact of their policy changes on the detention population on Christmas Island, that is now at unsustainable levels.
Continue reading "You can’t debate immigration without being called a racist" »
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Seano says:
“Anyone with a pair of eyes in their head can see many of our ’ new Australians’ have no intention of ever integrating & want to bring their tribal mentality here” Of course same thing was said about the Greeks and Italians when they came and that turned out to… Read more »
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Mick says:
A charity case I meant sarcastically, in the sense that those who do not want such high levels of immigration are often called racist, and therefore it comes off like bringing in these relatively high numbers of people is some sort of undebatable cause we need to get behind or… Read more »
Tony Abbott’s incendiary comments about immigration could ignite an Australia Day tinderbox.
Speaking last week at an Australia Day Council dinner, the federal opposition leader used language reminiscent of the darkest days of the Howard regime.
‘‘The inescapable minimum that we insist upon is obedience to the law,’’ he said.
Continue reading "Abbott’s message to migrants too incendiary by half" »
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gs says:
Ask tony if he is willing to scrap Critical Shortage List on the website of Immi.gov.au. Clearly shows he even lacks commonsense. GS of Sydney Read more »
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Ellis says:
You know Tracy, I used to rather admire you the way you faced down the T.V. Moguls when they went on about mutton dressed as lamb? But I’m afraid that you can’t join the radical, extremist, stupidities of Generation Y by making such abysmally foolish and vacuous statements. If what… Read more »
As a moderator of comments for news.com.au I see a lot of intolerance expressed in the debate over asylum seeker boats, especially from a vocal minority prepared to get very nasty.
The comments from this quarter typically employ broad-brush terms of abuse to stereotype on the basis of nationality.
The targets of these hateful attacks are Australians. The most popular terms of abuse are “redneck” and “racist”.
Continue reading "Rednecks! The new racist term for ordinary Australians" »
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Brenton's self-appointed counselor says:
*clap clap* would like to draw a picture? Read more »
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Robbie says:
‘‘The odd terrorist that will get thru will eventually self destruct anyway’‘.Great in theory David,unfortunately when they do self destruct they tend to take tens,if not hundreds if not thousands of innocent people with them.Look ahead to 200 years or so to the’‘Republic of Australia’’ David,if you ever become Immigration… Read more »
One of my all time favourite arguments against allowing asylum seekers into this country is ‘this is a Christian nation.’ To which I say, What Would Jesus Do my Christian friend?
As the full scope of Australia’s fear and loathing is on display after Indonesian authorities opened fire on a boat full of Afghan asylum seekers and Courier Mail readers responded with applause, I think it’s time we reflect on what was done to asylum seekers in our name in the years between 2000 and 2008.
I doubt this will have any effect whatsoever on those who cheer the shooting of Afghans who have fled the tyranny in their homelands, but that’s because there are two types of people in this world - those on the side of human rights and those who would pick up a gun against their fellow humans and carry out acts of cruelty.
Continue reading "Fear and loathing in the Land Down Under" »
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Lisa says:
This fear of asylum seeker is a perfect example of Australia’s racism. there is one world. There is one human race, the boundaries between countries are man-made and mean nothing. Anyone should be allowed to go anywhere they want on the earth. We all live here, and if someone needs… Read more »
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Sam says:
Rebecca, thanks for an excellent post! I totally agree. Read more »
With another boat load of asylum seekers intercepted and reports there are at least 10 Coalition MPs vowing to cross the floor on the ETS there’s plenty happening in Federal Parliament. You can see our Question Time coverage after the jump.
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Paul says:
It’s pretty long. What I really want to decode from all the posturing is how the powerful coal companies etc are squeezing Rudd to get more profits out of the ETS? It’s ordinary people that are going to be nailed on this not the corporations right? Can you comment on… Read more »
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U. Nerd says:
I have slipped into uber nerd and have just had a quick read of the open thread after question time. Read more »
Here are the eight inconvenient truths in the ongoing conversation on boat people over the last weeks and months in The Punch.
The first inconvenient truth relates to the claim that Australia can’t handle an influx of refugees, and we shouldn’t be forced to because we already take so many. In the face of the kind of suffering, and the numbers involved, in refugee camps around the world, and given the extent of our wealth, Australians could take many more – thousands more – refugees than we do. We would need far better integration programs, but we have the wealth that should allow us to provide these too. We could also afford a far more generous, even if better targeted, refugee aid program, especially with our South East Asian neighbours.
The defence of popular opposition to greater refugee intake in this regard is the morally unsustainable defence of a privileged country that refuses to take its own values, and what are arguably its international moral obligations, seriously.
Continue reading "The eight inconvenient truths on boat people" »
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Richard Ure says:
And better still not to reward politicians with high office for beating up a fear of people who arrive by boat rather than those who arrive with an entrance fee to a shonky school. Read more »
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bowie (Margareet Chaldecott) says:
One problem is placement - governments seem to think no one should live beyond the 2 or 3 large cities, and they make life difficult for people who would prefer to live ‘outside’ - train is removed, industries closed down, hospitals lack staff, schools don’t function - but these people… Read more »
Evidence is now mounting that last week’s Newspoll poll showing a seven point drop in Labor support was a rogue result, with Essential Research’s weekly tracking showing no movement in the two-party preferred vote.
The Essential Report, that has Labor comfortably ahead 59-41, follows on the heels of Monday’s Herald/Nielson poll that was also steady.
Beneath the headline figures there are some intriguing sub-plots, with the public going close to welcoming the increase in interest rates, while continuing to rate the Prime Minister down on his handling of the asylum seeker issue.
Continue reading "It’s a blip – Rudd maintains lead with interest" »
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Jack says:
I am not a Christian or a bleeding heart. I did vote ALP several times but am now informal. Queue jumpers in my opinion,should be reaturned back to country of origin immediately. No Lawyers, no Journalists, and if they are on a refugee list should be put to the very… Read more »
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Andrew Goff says:
Didn’t the comments in this thread steadily get crazier and crazier as they went on. You can tell from the increased number of exclaimation marks and all capitals. Read more »
John Howard’s dramatic re-entry in the political debate is notable for two reasons - the former PM has steadfastly refused requests for anniversary-type interviews, and he has also said repeatedly he would not “do a Keating” by commenting on domestic affairs, save to defend his record.
His interview with The Herald-Sun’s senior writer John Hamilton went well beyond defending his own record - rather, it was an exocet missile aimed squarely at Kevin Rudd’s record, most provocatively on border protection. The word in Liberal ranks is that the interview went ahead with the knowledge and support of Malcolm Turnbull, who has been buoyed by a Newspoll turnaround widely attributed to the border question. EMC director and Punch contributor Peter Lewis detected the same sentiment.
Lefties will regard the re-emergence of the man they despise as like something from a horror film. But the many millions of Australians who still voted for Howard in 2007 - and more disturbingly for Labor, some swinging voters who gently saw him off with no major sense of animosity - will have been interested to hear the input from the man from the toughness side of the ledger on unauthorised arrivals.
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Phil says:
I must laugh at all you union hacks and lefties commenting here. You rabble on about work choices, yet many Australians are currently having a system of work choices work well in their workplaces. Workchoices whilst abused by some employers allowed flexability. The same flexability that currently says work only… Read more »
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Kevin07 says:
Hey Denise, are you a Liberal Supporter?! It sounds like you want to kiss Howards Feet. Read more »
Are you feeling left right out of the political debate in Australia?
As the parliament prepares to consider the Rudd Government’s ETS and the global bureaucracy invades Copenhagen, I’m getting a little tired of the forced and clichéd polarisation of the climate change and other important debates, such as border protection.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was on Friday when #KRudd tweeted the world at 6.54pm saying “Time for the “do nothing” climate change skeptics (sic) to stop playing roulette with our kids future. KRudd.” It was one tweet too many. Seriously, what a silly and juvenile thing for a PM to say.
Continue reading "Rudd tweets insults to every fair-minded Australian" »
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Rebecca says:
Climate Change is going to happen. I’m a sceptic of the ‘climate change movement’ - however, to the ‘Patrick’s’ of the world, I am NOT for ‘doing nothing’ or anti-government. I wholeheartedly support measures to encourage people to use, re-use, and waste less. I support measures to research, and develop… Read more »
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Steve says:
Some interesting thoughts from some that struggle with the reality that the Liberal Party fully supports an ETS. It is a proven fact with plenty of visual and data records to back the fact that the earth is warming. It is also a fact that pollution increase medical problems, reduces… Read more »
We have had the ‘Pacific Solution’, the Christmas Island solution, and now the Indonesian solution - it’s time for an Australian solution to the problem of asylum seekers making the desperate and dangerous voyage to seek the protection of our country.
Reasonable people would agree that - those who cynically exploit desperate asylum seekers for profits should be stopped; it is appalling to see women and children making dangerous voyages and putting their lives at risk; people fleeing persecution will give everything they have to get their families to safety; there should be an orderly and fair refugee assessment system and Australia must honour its international obligations.
The core problem is that those who embark on boats are desperate. Between 85 per cent and 98 per cent of people arriving by boat are ultimately accepted by Immigration to have legitimate refugee claims. That is, they have fled from serious harm in their home countries for reasons covered by the Refugee Convention.
Continue reading "Asylum seekers: time for the Australian Solution" »
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Voxpop says:
Julie Coker-Godson - go back to the MSM pages where your hateful diatribe fits in best (the Top Gun comment gives you away ). Or better yet grow a brain - it’s incredible how truly ignorant people can be. I’d be embarassed to write comments that are factually wrong and… Read more »
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Julie Coker-Godson says:
The refugees do not own the Oceanic Viking, the Australian Taxpayers do: the refugees are writing cheques their bodies cannot cash! (with credits/apologies to Top Gun producers). Get these people off our vessel!! To our cringeworthy government I would say, stop weasling and just get on with it! Read more »
Let’s accept the Federal Opposition’s interpretation of this week’s polling figures at face value; as a consequence of his “softness” on the issue of the alleged armada of boats laden with asylum-seekers arriving on our watery doorstep day by day, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his government are falling rapidly out of favour with the Australian public.
And for the sake of the argument, let’s also accept the statistical and methodological reliability – which we can do with considerable confidence – of The Australian newspaper’s latest set of Newspoll numbers.
So, accepting all of that, what does it all add up to? And what does it say about our collective set of national values?
Continue reading "What polls and asylum seekers say about our values" »
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Voxpop says:
Gary Kingston - snowflakes are the ones that fall to the ground and melt. A snowball is compacted and can be quite hard when it hits you in the face Read more »
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Snowball says:
Gary Kingston: that’s a strange comment, but it’s my surname actually, not a nickname. Read more »
Whatever the reason, Kevin Rudd can take no comfort from today’s Newspoll showing a seven-point turnaround in the standing of Labor and the Coalition in the past fortnight. The poll comes as political strategist and Punch regular Peter Lewis writes today that a majority of Australians thinks Rudd is weak on border protection, according to the latest Essential Media findings.
The PM’s nightmare scenario is that there are three factors at play - disapproval at his “tough but fair” line on asylum seekers, disquiet over his economic management ahead of today’s dead-cert interest rate hike, and a sign that some voters are growing tired of the hitherto unassailable Teflon Kevin.
Unless the Newspoll is a blip, Labor is facing the almost unbelievable prospect of a nail-biter election with a two-party preferred lead of 52 to 48 over the Coalition. We’ll throw the commentary to you - what’s your take on it?
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H says:
Kim, not my Kevie. I deeply disagree with him on assylum seekers and I’ve voted differently in every state and federal election. It’s not having different opinions that bothers me, its the slogans (as you checked in other threads, you should be aware I was worried just as much about… Read more »
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Kim says:
H - You seem to be unable to contemplate that some people are changing their minds about your Kevie. You can’t have it all your way all the time. It doesn’t matter who makes comments, it’s open to all. You either agree or disagree, whats the problem. For almost 2… Read more »
The debate around the Sri Lanka asylum seekers is beginning to spiral into Tampa territory with the Australian public ready to support tough action over compassion and prepared to believe the boats are harbouring terrorists.
For the PM it is a diabolical political dilemma, with this week’s Essential Report showing his attempts to play tough cop are failing to translate into public approval for his handling of the issue.
Given the bind, I reckon his only option is to follow the lead of his predecessor John Howard – not in sending in the troops, but by shifting debate through invoking the nation’s obsession with sport.
Continue reading "Most Australians want a tougher stand on boatpeople" »
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Baby Shamu says:
So you Do Gooders don’t care if these people could be criminals or terrorists? But Do Gooders are pains themselves shame we cant get rid of them too. Read more »
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H says:
Peter & David. Do not take to heart commentors on your blogs as representative of your readership. You are more likely to draw on the loonies and the time to comment - most people just read, agree or disagree and move on without commenting. Many (not all) commentators will do… Read more »
With the re-emergence of asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia as a major issue in this country it has led to an accompanying rise in confusing politics.
The average observer can be left lost by the bedazzling display offensive and defensive political tactics and what it all means, so The Punch has put together a users guide of boat people politics.
Tough but humane:
Nobody has quite gotten to the bottom of what this phrase, formulated by the Government to explain its policy, actually means. Scientists in Switzerland have constructed an atomic “tough but humane” collider and are currently clashing the two words up against each other at the speed of light to find the solution. So far the closest they have come to an answer is that you can leave 78 asylum seekers on a boat in the sea off Indonesia for days on end, but give them a good brand of bottled water to drink.
Continue reading "I’m on a boat: a user’s guide to boat people politics" »
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Katrien Pickles says:
https://www.getup.org.au/files/campaigns/asylum_myths_factsheet.pdf read the facts for yourself and make your own mind up. Ignore the political catfight and learn the real facts about real people enduring REAL hardship and facing very real death if we don’t take on our fair share of responsibility. We are lucky to be born into a… Read more »
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John says:
Rudd just wants to water down the white population of Australia so that it can be dominated by the new world order elites. People are stupid for supporting this dirty traitor. As for those whites who want more immigrants from ANYWHERE, they seem to have no problem replacing whites with… Read more »
Deputy PM and Education Minister Julia Gillard joined us today on Punch TV on Sky News, discussing asylum seekers, school league tables, the economy and the next election. We also asked her about the tensions within the Left Faction over the future of frontbencher Laurie Ferguson whose seat has been abolished. Watch it here.
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Nonr says:
Trust Labor and suffer, thats the way it has always been and that is the way it will always be. Read more »
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RT says:
Don’t worry, Old Clive, the bar at the RSL club is open now. Read more »
Immigration has held a special place in the fears of many Australians but the figures tell a different story to that told by Liberal MP Kevin Andrews in his recent post on The Punch.
The data on asylum seekers and refugees in particular provides some much needed perspective on the current national debate.
When Mr Andrews informed Punch readers of the latest migration figures of 173,290 permanent migrants, he neglected to mention that in the last year of the Howard Government the number of permanent migrants to Australia reached 184,438.
Continue reading "Counterpunch: the figures on refugees tell the story" »
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Andrew Smith says:
Population figures are artifically high, and based on recent arrivals who may have applied for permanent, or temporary residency up to three years ago…..during boom times. Credible population projection for 2050 is 28 million from the Population Reference Group basedon ABS data. Raw population data includes long term WHV tourists… Read more »
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Craig says:
For those who advocate open borders. When do you say enough? - factoring in cultural impact upon host society (the Australia that exists now would be radically changed and along with that, institutions which keep our nation stable, our (your) way of life.), infrastructure, environment (water anyone? - carbon emissions?… Read more »
I missed the last week of Parliament during the ongoing debate concerning boat people.
I was in Uganda at a board meeting of my favorite charity Watoto, a charity that rescues abandoned children and babies and gives them hope and a future.
I’ve been going to Africa every year for many years working with some of the poorest people on earth.
Continue reading "Refugees are dying while they wait in the queue" »
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KW says:
Thanks DG, Appreciate that you took the time to read & respond. Even if we don’t quite see eye to eye! Read more »
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paul says:
@marley no mate, you are simplistic and naive. Do you know where the massive amounts of money came from to support an extended Tamil campaign came from? Australia is on the list -google it. Just as Aussies and Americans funded the IRA back in the day -google it too. And… Read more »
Why is the Rudd government hell-bent on bringing more and more people to Australia?
In 2007-08, 173,290 people permanently migrated to Australia. In addition, there were another 544,000 temporary migrants to the country, excluding the five million visitors. That’s close to three-quarters of a million extra people residing here in a year.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Net Overseas Migration contributed 60.6 per cent of Australia’s population growth in 2008, compared to 39.4 per cent contributed by natural increase.
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Peter says:
It won’t hurt to bring in plenty more refugees because they’re in pretty bad situations. As long as we only take enough in so we’ll have the ideal population. Read more »
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Don Clark says:
Mr Andrews has misrepresented the state of migration to Australia and conveniently forgets to mention by how much net migration was allowed to continue increasing over the term of the former conservative Government of which he was a member. Sadly for him the facts are part of the national store… Read more »
IF you squinted in a particular way, it was just possible to see last Sunday’s extraordinary meeting of the Coalition joint party-room as a triumph for Malcolm Turnbull.
But the bar was set pretty low. He may have emerged from the four and a half hour marathon armed with the authority to negotiate with the Government on emissions trading, but it was a Clayton’s mandate.
Consider for example its qualified nature - remembering at the same time, the Government’s pre-condition that it would only conduct talks with the Opposition if its negotiators had the authority to deliver its numbers in the parliament. On this score, Mr Turnbull’s authority looks shaky. Theoretically at least, he could get 100 per cent of what he asks for from the Government, and still not be able to say yes without a separate party-room meeting to approve it.
Continue reading "Dejected opposition all at sea over border protection" »
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Carl Palmer says:
The coalition is all at sea on virtually everything. Why? Because they are scared that they will get smashed should Labour decide to call a double dissolution and go to the polls. So they will bend over here there and everywhere. Personally I just wish the coalition would stand for… Read more »
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Garry says:
I am starting to get an image of Mr Rudd I did not want. He is standing there in the house hands in pockets and blaming the opposition, the past government and bickering about who is rude rather than being a leader. Why are they fixated on the failure of… Read more »
If Malcolm Turnbull doesn’t sit Wilson Tuckey down on his comments about terrorists aboard asylum seeker boats he’s effectively endorsing the increasingly maverick MP’s comments.
In a door stop just now the Opposition Leader opted out of criticisng the Member for O’Connor’s assertion this morning that people coming here on boats could actually be terrorists.
``If you wanted to get into Australia and you have bad intentions, what do you do?’’ Mr Tuckey asked reporters in Canberra. “You insert yourself in a crowd of 100 for which there is great sympathy for the other 99. You go on a system where nobody brings their papers, you have no identity, you have no address.’‘
Mr Turnbull’s response: “Well he’s not the Prime Minister of Australia.”
Continue reading "Is Tuckey just Turnbull’s dog whistle on boat people?" »
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Paul Prentice says:
By pass that disgusting ideology “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” and Wilson Tuckey is right in what he says, its easy to see what politicians are working for Australia’s interests now, and see who is licking the backside of that communist regime the United Nations Read more »
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Mike J says:
Tory, you look a lot older than twelve. Put the lid back on what can of worms? Precious Rudd-lovers like you try to distort everything in Rudd’s favour. How does pointing out there could be 1 terrorist among 100 illegals mean they could (or are) ALL be terrorists? You’ll be… Read more »
It is with some alarm that I have seen the national political debate turn towards border protection in recent days. Like the debates that have preceded this one – myth appears to transcend the deep human dimension that is missed in the daily headlines.
There is no doubt that the current policies may need to be reviewed but this does not abdicate our responsibility as a state and nation to look after those who have come from circumstances that we cannot begin to comprehend.
In my community I spent a bit of time getting to know an “asylum seeker” who left Sierra Leone in the hope that he could make a better life for his family.
Continue reading "This inhumane response belittles us as a nation" »
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Peter of Adelaide says:
I have read most of the posts here and some have made good points, and some have mad bad points. We turn away people because they are an unknown, all could be seeking asylum for whatever reason, or as Wilson Tucky inferred there *might* be a terrorist among them, we… Read more »
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paulh says:
these asylum seekers,tear up their paperwork and illegaly pay to come here by boat.We already allow in more people than most through the correct channels,this bunch should go through the correct channels.A migrant from the uk has to prove he can financially support himself and his family,these ilegal immigrants get… Read more »
What would you do if you had fled halfway across the world to save your life, and ended up in a hot, urine-smelling demountable prison building, surrounded by security guards?
What if you didn’t speak the language and your jailers couldn’t be bothered organising an interpreter, leaving you effectively mute?For a Somalian woman at Christmas Island, this isn’t a hypothetical. This is real life.
On my recent trip to the island I met this woman, wandering around the Construction Camp – where women and families are housed - in a daze, clearly distressed, with no way of talking to authorities and no way of understanding what was happening to her.
Continue reading "Mr Rudd, asylum seekers are real people" »
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Barbara Johnstone says:
On of the comments here is why not stay in one of the countries that they passed through to get here. Also, my children (15&18;) say to me that they are worried that there are too many refugees here and what is going to happen to them in the years… Read more »
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Danny says:
Dan, it’s the carrying capacity of the _planet_ that matters for humans as a species. And accepting refugees doesn’t change the population of the planet. Read more »
There’s nothing like the perceived threat of invasion to stir up Australians’ fears.
In many ways, it’s an irrational fear when you consider that historically Australia has been relatively untouched by war or major conflict on home soil and its ocean-swathed borders offer a higher degree of protection unlike land-locked countries such as Afghanistan and many of Africa’s trouble spots.
No, in Australia’s case, it’s not war but the asylum seeker peril that drives our terror of foreign incursion.
Continue reading "Boat people debate has lost no heat from Tampa days" »
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Paul says:
What is now several thousand is no longer just a tiny fraction. We are simply sending the wrong message. Come by boat we will take you. Blow up your boat, we will take you. Deliberately sink your boat and phone in an SOS, we will take you. If these people… Read more »
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davido says:
I have a lot of sympathy for the argument that genuine (i.e. non-economic refugees) will flee to the nearest country. Why arent those Tamil refugees going to Tamil nadu in India? Same language, same culture - - - so what is the real issue here? At the same time, we… Read more »
Many a battle has been lost because generals were caught fighting the last war in the new one.
Perhaps this goes some way to explaining Labor’s rhetorical bluster on border protection.
In just one interview in Adelaide this week, Kevin Rudd used the terms “tough’’ and “hard-line’’ over and over again and repeatedly declared the Government made ``no apology’’ for its hairy chested approach to boat people.
Continue reading "My name is Kevin Rudd, and I’m just like John Howard" »
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Karen says:
their are 85 thousand homeless people in Australia thanks to kevin rudd and his way or the highway approch . of bringing in four thousand immigrants a week no wonder thir is no beds in hospitals. no places left for four year old kindergarden shortage of housing thousands… Read more »
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BC says:
Howard - principles and achievement. Rudd - no principles and no achievement. Similar, I don’t think so. Read more »
Of the 9.1 million people who the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) describes as refugees, there are 827, 323 with outstanding applications for asylum around the world. This compares to 9.6 million refugees five years ago and 912,291 people still seeking asylum. Five years prior to that, there were 11.5 million refugees worldwide and 1.3 million seeking asylum.
Looking at even more recent data, between January and August 2009, there were 226,069 asylum applications worldwide. During the same period in 2008 there were 226,857 applications.
So much for the Rudd Government’s claim that international push forces are the cause of 41 boat arrivals since last August with almost 2,000 people on board, putting their lives at risk.
Continue reading "Kevin Rudd has no idea what he’s doing on boat arrivals" »
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anna says:
lighten up Wayne H and maybe you won’t be a racist anymore Read more »
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Wayne H says:
Lighten up a bit….. A beautiful fairy appeared one day to a destitute refugee claimant outside the Parramatta Immigration Offices in Macquarie Street. ‘My good man,’ the fairy said, ‘I’ve been told to grant you three wishes, since you’ve just arrived in Sydney, Australia with your wife and seven children.’… Read more »
Amnesty International flatly rejects the assertion that recent changes to Government policy have led to an increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat.
Despite much sensationalist reporting on the issue of boat arrivals, the fact remains that only a tiny percentage of the millions of people seeking asylum choose to seek that protection on Australia’s shores.
Statistics published in June by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the international body responsible for addressing refugee issues worldwide, show that at the end of 2008 there were 827,323 pending asylum seeker cases worldwide. Australia was handling 2159 of these – which is substantially less than one per cent.
Continue reading "All sides of politics ignore facts of asylum arrivals" »
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Colin says:
Can’t believe the comments on here! I feel like in a time warp back in the days of Good Ol’ White Australia. Please read the article you are commenting on at least.This is embarassing. Read more »
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Paul says:
Enough of left wing policies, and there loonacy ,the fact they need to get to Australia these illegal immigrants so badly after they are all in a safe Muslim country like Indonesia ,is proof enough that Australia is there desired destination because they get a free ride and a how… Read more »
The Pacific Solution has been replaced by the Indian Ocean non-solution.
In the ABC documentary The Howard Years those responsible for the Pacific Solution said that the mandatory detention camps they inherited from Labor were almost bursting, due to the influx of boats.
We face the same situation with the Christmas Island Detention Centre rapidly filling up as the boats keep coming.
Continue reading "Increase in asylum seekers is a problem of Rudd’s making" »
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Jason says:
Amazing - nobody is saying we shouldn’t take genuine refugees. Just don’t accept queue jumpers. If Australia collapsed into a civil war (or say, the greens got into power), it’s the “fat cats” who would be the boat people choosing their destination and leaving the poor “working class” back in… Read more »
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Kelley says:
It was interesting to see Evans last night on tele squirming and dithering, and then Lateline with Tanner and Pyne. Pyne made mince meat of Tanner. Well done Pyne about time. About time this Government had scrutiny. Read more »
Once again, Australia’s focus has been on the so-called threat of boat people heading our way. Do we defend our borders? Are we soft on people smugglers? Is our way of life under threat?
It is a debate that has raged on and off for more than 30 years, since the first boats appeared off Australia’s northern coastline in the wake of the Vietnam War. There were many Australians who did not want to welcome those for whom we had sacrificed so many young Australians.
Good enough to defend, but not good enough to welcome. It was a time when a young man named Hieu Van Le set out on a perilous journey in search of freedom and opportunity.
Continue reading "The human story behind asylum-seeker hysteria" »
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Mark says:
Do you guys only post comments that are politically correct? I repeat;- The days of the open door policy is over. The boats must be turned back.My and every other tax payers money is being wasted .Howard’s Foreign policy techniques were correct and appropriate for 21st Australia.He is a true… Read more »
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franklin says:
The most desperate and vunerable of the worlds refugees are single women and children living in squalid refugee camps in Africa and Asia. They live in abject poverty and are forced to deal with hostile locals, an almost total lack of economic opportunities, frequent gender based violence, high rates of… Read more »
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