James,

I am puzzled that you, in common with other media commentators, don't address one of the most tricky issues in all of this - that is, asylum seekers arriving without identifying documents. It is reported that the people smugglers advise asylum seekers to throw their documents away (not sure quite why).

However, processing the claims of people without documents is very time consuming and difficult and a major reason why processing can take a long time.

I would have thought that our esteemed leaders would do well to advertise that asylum seekers arriving with documents will be processed quickly onshore, and released into the community while their applications for Australian visas are considered. However, people arriving without documents can expect to be held in detention, for potentially lengthy periods, while their identities are established.

This is of course a key difference between asylum seekers arriving by air (who necessarily must have documents) and those who arrive by sea many of whom don't have documents.

It is also possible that asylum seekers have their documents lost or stolen on the journey. In that event, shouldn't they ensure that copies are held in a safe place that they can access once they arrive here?

Herbert,

For many refugees, if they are captured holding identity documents before they escape, they set their relatives and neighbours at risk. Indeed, the possession of identity documents adds to the risk of leaving their country.

The fuss about identity documents was a deliberate creation of prejudice by the Howard government.

It is, alas, much easier to foment prejudice than it is to dispel it.

Sadly this article is absolute rubbish and full of outright lies;

"US, most European countries, and Australia enthusiastically encouraged the various political reform movements"
No they didn't. They specifically withheld support for these movements and held a neutral stance for weeks hoping not to alienate the present governments of the gulf states until it was clear the rebels were going to win. And they definitely didn't support any side in the Somali war at all- let alone the 'authorities' or warring tribes in charge now.

"We are not dealing with economic opportunists... who in desperation not preference, are fleeing their homeland"
Actually, excluding Pacific and South-East Asians they are. In the Middle East- even right now- there are plenty of other Middle Eastern countries where a person fleeing from one would be safe in the other- let alone elsewhere in Africa or Asia; however they pass through these and often stay there for extended periods hoping to catch further transport to a rich western country. Plenty even cited that they wanted an Australian lifestyle.

As for our ability to not appear 'mean' that is supposedly a benefit- I would like to ask which countries in particular we were 'embarassing' ourselves in front of- most countries in Europe are one way or another, taking even more extensive measures to prevent refugee migration than we are. In fact, many countries in Europe are specifically ADVERTISING themselves as 'mean' to TV in the Middle East hoping to prevent emmigrants choosing it as their country.

What we SHOULD be doing (aside from copying Europe) is taking every arrival, judging character first- if they dubious, fanatical, misbehave, or are unlikely to integrate- they are immediately disqualified as refugees and deported back to their homeland. Then the ones we have left can have their applications processed in the community (and this should be according to which local community WANTS people the most).

Like every other refugee argument, it somehow manages to avoid all logic and truth.

"The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence." (Article 31, (1) )

Also see:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Refugeeconvention.PNG

I believe international pressure should be applied to those countries in grey that have not signed up for the 'Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees'. If they did so then the argument of 'coming directly from a territory' would not be possible.

This said, if I put myself in their shoes I would also make the effort to come to Australia rather that to the refugee camps in Jordan, Iraq etc. No refugee system is perfect, but ours is still one of the best in the world. This is why they come.

Ask yourself, how many refugees have you ever met on the street. At current levels, what is all the fuss about?

King Hazza,

Yup.....take the position of fleeing Iraqis, for example. You'd think that most of the millions fleeing the bombs, destruction and debasement of the western roadshow would have satisfied their desire for safety by merely scuttling in any direction over a dusty border into a neighbouring country.....oops! - millions of them did just that.

How dare a minority aspire to move in the direction of those that brought disintegration to their country.

"dubious and fanatical" is an excellent description of the Bush war machine.

No matter the lexicon displaced persons have always existed even in tribal clans. Seeking some safe place is basic human intent no matter the risk as that is very much not the focal priority.Family unity and being where you will not be killed or face more trauma is a right we all have.Sadly denied many as we all know.Words displace the real human content of this global issue.
Australia is safe but hard to reach even when exploited by 'slave-traders' as it is 'cash from you and get going--live or die' they don't care.
Coalition is too zapped-up in the past of former leader John Howard.

Clinical logic to use comparisons has no place in cognitive thinking and most Liberals don't display this. Our PM moved so all future Aust.Govts.had the legislation in place to act,however the future is of no interest to Tony Abbott.We can go forward and meet this face on and even if T A did win an election,he has no power to stem the human flow or we hvae
people-overboard yet again. On shore is dollar wise and will work.