Malaysia Solution
Ahmed* was an unaccompanied 15 year Hazara boy when he reached Christmas Island on his second attempt in 2010. He would have been in the 800 the Government wanted to send to Malaysia as part of their human swap deal but for the High Court’s intervention.
Even now, almost two years later, his face clouds as he talks of that time of indecision on Christmas Island, the anguish and bitter disappointment of having reached safety to then be despatched again into the unknown. He is still marked by the cruelty of that proposal.
This cruelty is what both major parties want us to be known for throughout our region. South East Asia has the lowest density of Refugee Convention signatory countries. Australia was among the first to ratify this 60 years ago but very few of our neighbours have followed our example. The experience of the Pacific Solution showed that we are not going to be swamped with other countries’ offers of resettling refugees who have come to us for protection. We can’t have it all ways.
Continue reading "We can’t treat refugees as pawns in a political game" »
Last weekend, a horrible thing happened, and something beautiful did too. First, we watched the terrible sequel to last year’s asylum boat tragedy on Christmas Island. 17 bodies, up to 90 feared dead.
Then, thousands of people across Australia went for a walk. From Perth to Sydney, Adelaide to Darwin, Hobart to Rockhampton, in Melbourne, Newcastle, Fremantle, Brisbane, Canberra, and Toowamba - they went for a stroll.
They walked through their cities, through their local parks, to gather and at local places of significance. They were migrants, they were refugees, they were international students.
Continue reading "A pollie’s plea to both sides break the deadlock on boats" »
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Dr McKay says:
@Max I sent a letter to the Minister for Immigration suggesting the very same thing. We have 2 issues: 1. Dangerous journey on boats, we need to discourage them BEFORE they start 2. Aussie public believes they are jumping the queue and it isn’t fair. Your solution resolves both of… Read more »
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youdy beaudy says:
If all the dissident countries of the world practised peace instead of war then there would be no such people as refugees. That, people is the way the world should be going in reality but unfortunately for us all world wide much of the world is run by thugs. I… Read more »
Someone, please, grant us the compassion to accept the genuine refugees, the courage to find the scammers, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Compassion and wisdom are thin on the ground in the latest asylum seeker scuffle, and too many keep confusing cruelty with courage.
Last week’s Four Corners report, which revealed that people smugglers – such as ‘Captain Emad’ – can sneak in and set up shop in Australia, has triggered the usual outpouring of bile from Haters Anonymous, ineffectual defensiveness from the Government, and a new Opposition policy.
Continue reading "Don’t put all asylum seekers in the same boat" »
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Dinner rage says:
During a recent dinner with 6 of my long time girlfriends the topic of boat people was raised by one .. Immediately they all shouted “burn the buggers -sink their boats -shoot the bastards- they cost us money-bomb them” they did not stop shouting terrible things like they all rape… Read more »
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Linda says:
In reply to Marilyn - I am not sure what you mean by “how can I talk such crap”. When we left Vietnam in the early 80’s - going by sea was the only option. Cambodia, Laos and China (the countries adjacent to Vietnam) at that time was more likely… Read more »
What happened
In a kooky swapsie deal, Australia and Malaysia entered into a “cooperative transfer agreement” on asylum seekers, only to have the deal trounced by the High Court.
Under the Malaysia Solution the next 800 asylum seekers to arrive in Australia would be shipped off to Malaysia to join the ‘queue’ there. In return Australia would take an extra 4000 refugees from Malaysia.
Refugee advocates were chuffed that we’d take extra refugees but dismayed at the idea of sending asylum seekers to Malaysia, where they were reportedly badly treated. Critics said it was both inhumane and ineffective, and many were pre-occupied by the maths of 800 for 4000.
Continue reading "Biggest moments of 2011 #17 No laksa for you!" »
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Coop says:
we learned that Gillard and Labor dont have problems with people trading Read more »
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NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:
Hi Editors Part I & Part II, Thanks for your reply, I have really enjoyed all the information as well the the latest update. With all this talent you should consider writing a novel. You definitely seem to know what you are talking about. Please do not waste anytime thinking… Read more »
Welcome to the return of I Call Bullshit, a regular Punch column on all things that reek of magical thinking and mistruths, pseudoscience and spin.
So, riots, eh? Australia’s just a tinderbox of simmering tensions, waiting to explode into unconstrained groupthink violence, with much gnashing of teeth and smashing of Harvey Norman windows. If you believe everything you hear, you’d think that a flood of boatpeople will immediately flood detention centres then flood into the community causing floods of riots. Flood’s such a good word, isn’t it?
People would not be able to help themselves; all those men and women and children fleeing persecution would force their hand, and they would have to start stealing televisions. Be afraid. Grab the lifejackets!
Continue reading "ICB: Grab the lifejackets, there’s a flood on the way" »
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Joe says:
While I agree with most of what you say about doing more catch illegal immigrants and over stayers, I disagree with the first comment. Having Open Borders with New Zealand by enlarge works well for both countries. New Zealand and Australia share very similar cultures, similar values, similar heritage and… Read more »
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marley says:
Umm, well, no, because the Malaysian solution is just Pacific Solution Mark II. Call it back to the future, episode 4. Read more »
The Gillard Government’s legal miscalculation of its Malaysian enterprise will amplify Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s consistent theme that it is an administration which simply can’t get anything right.
It isn’t the first instance of clumsy handling of the asylum seeker debate and the political imperatives which are driving national attention on what is, essentially, a minor matter.
Against solid advice - including that of Kevin Rudd - the Government tried to get a detention centre deal with East Timor but had to limp away embarrassed from negotiations which were always destined to fail.
Continue reading "Dropped Malaysian deal will create many ripples" »
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Anichol says:
I might be wrong but didn’t Rudd take his asylum policy to the 2007 election? To say Howards policy worked better is a little short sighted for me, I fail to see what difference it made as over ? of those detained on Nauru still got asylum in Australia. So… Read more »
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daniel says:
Josh, refugees and asylum seekers burn their documentation and identification because they are seeking refuge from persecution and asylum. They are not going on a holiday or temporarily staying for the purposes of work. That is an important distinction that should be emphasised as carrying documentation and identification across borders… Read more »
The taut grimace on Chris Bowen’s babyish countenance said it all.
This was as tough a task as the widely respected Immigration Minister had confronted in politics. He admitted as much.
The High Court, the body with which one cannot quibble and from which there is no remedy, no higher court of appeal - even for a federal government - had cut down his Malaysian people-swap in the most cavalier fashion.
Continue reading "Malaysia ruling sweet music for some, dirge for others" »
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marley says:
@GB and Holly - boat arrivals increased under the first years of the Coalition. The imposition of the Pacific Solution, combined with other factors, stopped them cold. Then the numbers started to climb again. Here’s the data from the horse’s mouth, so to speak: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/boatarrivals.htm Read more »
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Chris says:
@Ryan I didn’t say anything about the Labor party. You don’t need to stick your head in the sand; you need to take it out of your arse. Read more »
In ruling the so-called ‘Malaysia Solution’ invalid, the High Court has delivered a spectacular blow to the beleaguered Gillard government in one of its most vulnerable policy areas – asylum seekers.
After an election in which the Opposition almost knocked off a first-term government on a platform that contained a promise to “stop the boats”, the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen was tasked with devising a credible solution to the problem of unlawful arrivals by non-citizens.
The desperate need for new thinking from the government was only underscored by the tragic loss of life when a vessel carrying asylum seekers was wrecked off Christmas Island in December.
Continue reading "Why the Malaysia solution was as useless as old rendang" »
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michael says:
I must agree Michael M a regional solution is the best way to go , under our present system we are mostly receiving asylum seekers to our shores who are clearly queue jumpers, simply because they have the money to hire a smuggler, its as simple as that to those… Read more »
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marley says:
Funny, Marilyn. That’s not what the Court said. But you no doubt know better than the High Court. Or possibly not. Read more »
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