Malaysia Solution
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!" »
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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