Refugee

Yesterday, it was revealed in The Australian that since the government announced its Malaysian solution six boats have arrived in Australia carrying 274 asylum seekers. With the Malaysian’s reluctance to backdate the agreement, each and everyone one of those 274 asylum seekers are likely to be processed in Australia.

How extraordinary, considering that if Gillard ever gets this shonky deal with Malaysia signed, only 800 asylum seekers who come to Australia illegally are going to be deported to Malaysia! The quid pro quo in the bargain is that Australia will resettle 4000 of Malaysia’s refugees over four years and will pay the Malaysian government an as-yet-undisclosed amount of money.

Last year 6879 asylum seekers tried to come to Australia illegally by boat. That’s almost 19 people every day. If that rate were to continue and the next 800 illegal arrivals were deported to Malaysia then in 43 days’ time Australia will have used up the Prime Minister’s quota and all other illegal arrivals after that would still have to be processed in Australia.

Continue reading "Close the border and stop this shonky Malaysia deal" »

Late this morning another group of refugees clambered on top of the roof at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre in protest.

And while the Minister for Immigration Chris Bowen managed to get yesterday’s group down by refusing to “give in to their demands” maybe it’s about time we stopped cushioning the issue with industrial size mattresses and faced them head on instead.

Ian Rintoul is one person looking for a better solution. As a spokesperson for the Sydney based Refugee Action Coaliton, he’s described the situation as “desperate” and that most detainees, having spent between 12 to 16 months in Christmas Island prior to coming to Villawood, “see no future”.

Continue reading "It’s time to get down from the roof on Villawood" »