BREAKING NEWS: the boats haven't stopped

[Paul1Perth]

Even if true, the article admits that this will be the first boat for six months, which means that six months worth of illegals will never get here.

 

I'm drawn to your use of the word 'illegal' there Dave. I'm sure there are a proportion of boat arrivals who are economic migrants plain and simple, but don't the government's own statistics reveal that the majority are legitimate claimants?.

 

I've read and contributed to a couple of threads on PIO now on this issue, as well as similar threads on The Guardian's comments page. What's striking for me is how strongly sceptics like yourself feel about this issue. On these forums it seems to generate a level of feeling like no other that I can recall, and that seems to match the mainstream media mood. There seems to be really visceral anger directed towards these arrivals and a willingness to endorse just about any level of harsh treatment towards them for daring to trouble the RAN and the Australian tax-payer. As someone who advocates for safe, fair and timely assessment of these arrivals on the Australian mainland I'm always taken aback by the level of anger directed at this group. I'm not sure if you can answer this question Dave, but where do you think this anger and revulsion stems from? Is it fear, is it resentment at having to spend tax dollars on their keep, is it a mistrust of asylum-seekers generally (this group being the most high profile) or is it a belief that they're unfairly pushing in whilst everybody else has to wait?

 

Probably a mixture of all the highlighted.

[Paul1Perth]

First boat in 6 months - we have been told about . The blanket silence on exactly how many boats have been turned or towed back means we will never know how many tried to make it to Aus.

These new arrivals will be interviewed by "Indian" officials to see if they should be returned to India I think we all know the answer to that question.

 

Does it really hurt not to know? Only makes for more angst and teeth gnashing by Sarah Hansen Young.

[Parley]

We do know anyway, so that is a furphy.

 

Without exception the asylum seekers have mobile phones and contact people in Australia or refugee contacts, so it is always reported in the media.

[MARYROSE02]

India is, unlike so many other countries in the region, a democracy, so I do not understand the problem with being returned there if they are Indian citizens.

 

I have never objected to Australia's official refugee intake, or even to the idea that it should be increased, but I do hate the idea of people paying to 'jump the queue.' Perhaps some, indeed, most of them ARE 'proper' refugees, but allowing people in without papers, without medical checks, without identity checks, etc, is bordering on the insane. I was listening to a news report from Africa, where that awful virus - Ebola?? - is rife, doctors are dying from it now, even as they try to treat the victims. Sarah Hansen Young would want anyone from that region allowed in Australia, so obsessed is she with letting everybody in, without proper checks.

 

And I do object to Australia's tax dollars being diverted to pay for their rescue and all the other costs, and of course endangering our sailors' lives rescuing them from boats that should never, (and would never in Australia) be sailing across a children's paddling pool, let alone the high seas. I'd much prefer it if the RAN stayed in port, but imagine the furore if more ships started wrecking themselves.

 

I heard that other idiot from The Greens, Christine Milne raging about 'working for the dole' saying we should increase the dole instead, and increase the money we spend on education too. Noble intentions, but where would she divert the money from to pay for it? From defence spending on the RAN perhaps, but who would rescue the boats then? Divert more money from what we already spend on refugees?

 

The reason I do dislike them is that they seem to care more for foreigners than Australians, more about so-called 'World Opinion', as if Australia has to apologise to any other country. 'Let he who is without sin, throw the first stone'? (& whilst I am at it, 'Charity begins at home.')

[MARYROSE02]

I've never been a racist either, but that is the standard reply to anybody who has a different opinion on subjects like immigration, refugees, race relations.

[fletchaman]

India is, unlike so many other countries in the region, a democracy, so I do not understand the problem with being returned there if they are Indian citizens.

 

I have never objected to Australia's official refugee intake, or even to the idea that it should be increased, but I do hate the idea of people paying to 'jump the queue.' Perhaps some, indeed, most of them ARE 'proper' refugees, but allowing people in without papers, without medical checks, without identity checks, etc, is bordering on the insane. I was listening to a news report from Africa, where that awful virus - Ebola?? - is rife, doctors are dying from it now, even as they try to treat the victims. Sarah Hansen Young would want anyone from that region allowed in Australia, so obsessed is she with letting everybody in, without proper checks.

 

And I do object to Australia's tax dollars being diverted to pay for their rescue and all the other costs, and of course endangering our sailors' lives rescuing them from boats that should never, (and would never in Australia) be sailing across a children's paddling pool, let alone the high seas. I'd much prefer it if the RAN stayed in port, but imagine the furore if more ships started wrecking themselves.

 

I heard that other idiot from The Greens, Christine Milne raging about 'working for the dole' saying we should increase the dole instead, and increase the money we spend on education too. Noble intentions, but where would she divert the money from to pay for it? From defence spending on the RAN perhaps, but who would rescue the boats then? Divert more money from what we already spend on refugees?

 

The reason I do dislike them is that they seem to care more for foreigners than Australians, more about so-called 'World Opinion', as if Australia has to apologise to any other country. 'Let he who is without sin, throw the first stone'? (& whilst I am at it, 'Charity begins at home.')

 

Here here could not have put it better myself

[MARYROSE02]

Here here could not have put it better myself

 

Even if I say it myself, it sounds like a reasonable argument. Few of us are actual 'racists.' If I'm walking down the street, I don't care who I see, nor how they came to be in the country. We all live here/

[fletchaman]

Even if I say it myself, it sounds like a reasonable argument. Few of us are actual 'racists.' If I'm walking down the street, I don't care who I see, nor how they came to be in the country. We all live here/

 

India is a very rich country so yes they should be sent back,and go through the same process of immigration as the rest of us from democratic countries have to go through

[ArthurPendragon]

Indian is a very rich country so yes they should be sent back,and go through the same process of immigration as the rest of us from democratic countries have to go through

There is no country called Indian as there is no country called Australian. I assume you meant India.

The Asylum seekers are/were mostly Sri Lankan refugees who were resident in India. And India is looking into unauthorized boat journey as a security threat

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Lankan-refugee-trafficking-exposes-chinks-in-security/articleshow/39133010.cms

[fletchaman]

There is no country called Indian as there is no country called Australian. I assume you meant India.

The Asylum seekers are/were mostly Sri Lankan refugees who were resident in India. And India is looking into unauthorized boat journey as a security threat

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Lankan-refugee-trafficking-exposes-chinks-in-security/articleshow/39133010.cms

 

Thank you for the geography lesson :wink:

[ArthurPendragon]

Thank you for the geography lesson :wink:

Always here to help:wink:

[ArthurPendragon]

A Worrying thing from the article was this section

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Lankan-refugee-trafficking-exposes-chinks-in-security/articleshow/39133010.cms

 

The agents charged between 1.25 lakh and 1.5 lakh per head for the trip but gave discounts to women and children. "The traffickers wanted to take more women and children as this would influence Australian authorities to consider their case sympathetically. But the trauma that the children must have experienced can't be imagined. The boat reached the Australian border in 16 days," an official in Puducherry said.

 

The traffickers procured a satellite phone for the boatman. "When the boat was in trouble, the people on board called a news agency and the father of the two-year-old who was in France using a satellite phone," the official said.