What average Australian thinks when you mention immigration...

[Lenore]

Well, I hope Australians can see the difference between immigrants and refugees.

There are almost no "filters" for accepting refugees, so you can't expect they will know languages, have work experience, etc. And it's not their fault, not everyone is lucky enough to live in a free country, in peace.

As for "white Australia" thing, I know there will be a problem with IELTS for Asian people especially, but I think Australian government has right to accept people with good command of English, especially when there are so many applicants. And somebody already mentioned that IELTS doesn't give scores for skin colour.

If it was up to me I would set up higher IELTS score for some professions only, like medical (because sometimes seconds decide on saving a life, doctors and nurses have to communicate as effectively as possible) and lower one for "tradies".

[fish.01]

Hellow fish!!! I don't get to see you in other threads!!! When ever something to do with refugees you are in!! Remember the previous thread we were playing the roles of SL government & Tamil diaspora :mask:

For your above list of arguments!!! Its simply your wish is their command :cool: there's no need to express regarding the convincing power in politics.. so readers know that politicians will do anything to retain the power!!! :wink:

 

Mate, it's no surprise that you notice me in refugee threads because of the type of comments you make.

 

You seem to me to be carrying the prejudices of your own country into the politics of mine to the detriment of Australia. I don't like it. It is not good for Australia. Some of them may be terrorists but there is a big difference between highlighting this and blanket labeling all of them as done in a number of threads and suggesting the Australia officials would have no idea about this.

 

I have watched some awful things happen to people who arrive in Australia by boat over the last decade to the point it made me ashamed of my country.

 

Despite what people think about their validity, I think the lack of balance and compassion that has been shown to these people and their children has been disgusting. Using them for political reasons is immoral.

 

I understand that people have justifiably different opinions about their validity to come here etc. But I am trying to do my little bit to bring the debate about them back to rational debate about real people instead of some hysterical, abstract argument that solves nothing and harms real families with real children just like mine.

[paulv]

Mate, it's no surprise that you notice me in refugee threads because of the type of comments you make.

 

You seem to me to be carrying the prejudices of your own country into the politics of mine to the detriment of Australia. I don't like it. It is not good for Australia. Some of them may be terrorists but there is a big difference between highlighting this and blanket labeling all of them as done in a number of threads and suggesting the Australia officials would have no idea about this.

 

I have watched some awful things happen to people who arrive in Australia by boat over the last decade to the point it made me ashamed of my country.

 

Despite what people think about their validity, I think the lack of balance and compassion that has been shown to these people and their children has been disgusting. Using them for political reasons is immoral.

 

I understand that people have justifiably different opinions about their validity to come here etc. But I am trying to do my little bit to bring the debate about them back to rational debate about real people instead of some hysterical, abstract argument that solves nothing and harms real families with real children just like mine.

 

:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

[Joebloggs]

My fivepenneth , when i see refugees , i thgink of persecution beatings ,poor buggers starving ,these boat people are fit as lops , funny thing big hoo har because its at villawood on the east ,when you lot dont give a flkying when Wa is taking the brunt , if they are refugees and desparate then to live any where in another country must be the goal . Why then do they travelfrom Indonesia ( a country away from their own ) to Australia . There are remote areas that need people and can take people esp in WA put them there , this willmean the authorities will have to provide servivces such as health etc to the area so the people living there can access the services as well as the freeloaders

 

Most of people in Villawood are not refugees and did not come by boat, they are overstayers or students who now claim asylum because they don't want to go back to where they came from.

 

Boat people go to Christmas Island processed and then are sent to motels in NT & Queensland to be finalised.

[connaust]

Poeple forget that Australia had an official "white Australia" policy till late 60's, and informally still influences the "elite" and decision makers, even those who claim they are not racist, but can be incredibly patronising towards those perceived as "foreigners".

 

Have lived outside of Australia since 1990, visiting annually, with two periods back in Oz, in 90's and presently.

 

John Howard was quite public in his remarks about "Asian immigration", social cohesion, multiculturalism etc. during 80's but was punished politically and electorally when Liberals were more "liberal" socially, since then his utterances have been suitably "ambiguous", and more mainstream.

 

Very politically astute, he ditched a bi partisan approach to refugee and migration policy as he realised that attitude about immigration, race etc. crossed political boundaries i.e. a vote winner, especially amongst white baby boomers and ageing parents, in marginal electorates.

 

He unashamedly started playing the "race card" e.g. after becoming PM the word "multiculturalism" was banned in the PM's Dept., independent advisory group was disbanded in favour of advice from selected individuals e.g. Dr.Bob Birrell of Monash University, a reknowned anti immigrationist and white australia apologist, masqerading as an objective "demographer and population expert".

 

Result has been a conflation of related issues played out in the media (surely medium?) that suggests immigration is not good for Australia, as that is what many Australians believe ("wagging the dog" and "dog whistling"), playing to their base prejudices and fears, yet ironically for business, he allowed the skilled immigration to reach highest levels ever during his time as PM?

 

These issues include refugees/"boat people", study to PR, population growth, environmental stress, property prices, English language skills etc. which suggest that Asian or non European immigrants are a problem while one does not recall any criticism of British or European i.e. white immigrants?

 

However, without immigration, an ageing population would consign Australia to what is now happening in Europe, shrinking populations, decreasing tax bases, decline in services, increasing pensions etc.

 

Further, talking with friends (of mostly European/British heritage) last week, there really is no argument, does Australia focus upon accessing massive gene pools and those with get up and go in Asia (with whom we do most of our trade), versus much smaller and decreasing populations in Britain and Europe?

[Guest langhoatu81]

Please have a life, show some sympathy to the people who are not as lucky as you in their life. Genuine or not genuine in processing occurs as we are human being and human being makes mistake. if any of you feel it is not fair, put yourself in the situation if you were them, would you want migrate to a good country? or want someone show some sympathies to you. so please get a life and give some refugees a chance. Aussie is big enough to accommodate everyone....

[Joebloggs]

so please get a life and give some refugees a chance. Aussie is big enough to accommodate everyone....

 

REMOVE HEAD FROM SAND....

 

Boat people or overstaying students are not "Real Refugees"

 

"Real Refugees" live in UNCHR camps until Australia accepts them.

 

There are only 13,000 available visas a year for refugees, every person who pays $10000 for a boat ride to Christmas Island means that some poor b*astard in some camp with nothing is stuck there in squalor.

 

Aussie is big enough to accommodate everyone but only someone like you langhoatu81 doesn't seem to realise that its people like me who has to pay for them.

[fish.01]

An alternative view to consider: There’s no such thing as a “queue” - Amnesty International Australia

[Guest langhoatu81]

REMOVE HEAD FROM SAND....

 

Boat people or overstaying students are not "Real Refugees"

 

"Real Refugees" live in UNCHR camps until Australia accepts them.

 

There are only 13,000 available visas a year for refugees, every person who pays $10000 for a boat ride to Christmas Island means that some poor b*astard in some camp with nothing is stuck there in squalor.

 

Aussie is big enough to accommodate everyone but only someone like you langhoatu81 doesn't seem to realise that its people like me who has to pay for them.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your case, please you only have to pay small amount of G only, I have been In Aussie 12 years, 9 years as international student, 3 years work my ass off with big amount of tax every year, i don't complain abut that so you are nothing compared to how much i have to pay and suffer my life too. So please refugees or not don't make a judgment on what you don't know for sure...cheers mate

[connaust]

Many prospective refugees cannot access "queues", UNHCR camps or foreign missions.

 

A friend in Melbourne also claims ("dribbles at the mouth", yells, screams etc.) that "boat people" are defying Australian traditions of "fair go" by queue jumping and costing money.... he is from NZ who has taken advantage (and more, both legal and illegal) of all benefits and tax breaks that Australia has to offer..... as an "economic refugee" (he is now Oz citizen).

 

Further, idea that overstayers etc. who enter on tourist and other visas are ok because they have legal visas is rubbish. In theory it is a criminal offence to knowingly apply for a visa with the intention of not abiding by conditions.....

 

Curious about the focus upon financial issues (and race) when waste, corruption, rorting, middle class welfare, tax avoidance etc. by Australians and residents is ignored?

 

Via the media that is the whole idea, to ramp up racial fears, stir up emotions, alarm people and allow governments to avoid scrutiny on more pressing issues of the day....

[Guest Lankan1]

Mate, it's no surprise that you notice me in refugee threads because of the type of comments you make.

 

You seem to me to be carrying the prejudices of your own country into the politics of mine to the detriment of Australia. I don't like it. It is not good for Australia. Some of them may be terrorists but there is a big difference between highlighting this and blanket labeling all of them as done in a number of threads and suggesting the Australia officials would have no idea about this.

 

I'm not carrying prejudices of any country because as far I have see in politics, same thing happening everywhere in the world. There's no difference in Australia or Asia! But Terrorism is a problem to date even America is struggling to deal with and UK is trying to find fixes for the problems caused by uncontrolled refugee migration.

In that case the government in my country was good enough to eradicate the problem which was dragging for more than decades. I guess Australian officials will not need to welcome such problems into their land and work accordingly because end of the day it is not at all good to Australia.

 

I have watched some awful things happen to people who arrive in Australia by boat over the last decade to the point it made me ashamed of my country.

 

I feel really pathetic how Australia is treating their Skilled Migrants. They say they want skilled people at the same time they pay the least attention to them in their political agendas. No difference in politics in Australia, we cannot regard them having superior rules and regulations.

 

Despite what people think about their validity, I think the lack of balance and compassion that has been shown to these people and their children has been disgusting. Using them for political reasons is immoral.

 

Now you're admitting the fact that Aus politicians are using the people arriving from boats to fulfill their political reasons.

 

I understand that people have justifiably different opinions about their validity to come here etc. But I am trying to do my little bit to bring the debate about them back to rational debate about real people instead of some hysterical, abstract argument that solves nothing and harms real families with real children just like mine.

 

Mate, why you worry about your family & what you mean by real families? I justify my validity based on regulations for skill migration, I hope you also talking about the same as you & family stuck in general skill migration queue! In that case hysterical arguments on skill migration vs refugee migration is fair enough as If you visit any thread in this forum you will see people making voices on state migration plans and point test changes so on all of which were given the least concern by Aus government.

[Joebloggs]

I'm sorry to hear about your case, please you only have to pay small amount of G only, I have been In Aussie 12 years, 9 years as international student, 3 years work my ass off with big amount of tax every year, i don't complain abut that so you are nothing compared to how much i have to pay and suffer my life too. So please refugees or not don't make a judgment on what you don't know for sure...cheers mate

 

 

That probably because these boat people are your Kith & Kin.

[connaust]

There have been rumours that Australians have lost their sense of irony due to too much US tv and related influences in media and society.

 

However, when we have our (mythical) identity of tolerance, fair go, convict origins, Koorie influences etc., while Australians demonise refugees, we can at least celebrate that our sense of irony remains, albeit unintentionally