Maybe the question of dealing with these boat people will be the one that will show us to ourselves and the rest of the world as who we really are, not how we imagine ourselves to be.

The captain of the Tampa did the right thing, but he was reviled for it.

If we continue to do the wrong thing, one day the consequences of our cruelty will catch up to us, and we will be asked to prove to others that we are genuine refugees, and not just out to make a quid.

British Columbia takes in many such arrivals, but does not demonise them but allows them to retain their dignity and work for a living.
Why can't we allow some common sense and compassion to guide our decisions?

Everald, I think you are wrong, wrong, wrong!

You say that the Tampa incident… < …was one of the most shameful weeks of our history, and it achieved absolutely nothing >

Not at all!

It was a new circumstance for which we did not have a plan. Keeping the asylum seekers on the Tampa until the best course of action had been worked out, then taking them to Nauru, processing their claims and accepting most or all of them as refugees, was NOT shameful.

But to have just simply accepted them straight up would have been fraught with problems, as we have come to realise, thanks to one recycled PM, when pull factors are tampered with.

< …Nauru and Manus are hell holes that reduce people to the status of animals. >

Excuse me, but that is extremist rubbish!

Your whole tenet appears to be one of totally open borders, no offshore detention centres, no onshore detention centres, just completely free movement in our society straight up…. and with an unlimited number of asylum seekers coming here, for ever more!

Everald, I’ve got to say that this is one of the most unbalanced articles I have ever read.

Surely it is just so obvious that we should regain full control over our borders and exercise our humanitarianism through formal channels; via the refugee category of our immigration program and via international aid programs.

We need to completely STOP the boats! Turning some back when it is safe and pertinent to do so, and if it doesn’t create problems with Indonesia, should be an option.

Put the facts on the table first please.

<During the rescue, Rinnan received a call from Jakarta advising him to disembark the passengers at the ferry port of Merak, Indonesia.

About half an hour after the Tampa had set sail toward Indonesia, a delegation of five asylum seekers visited the bridge to demand passage to Australian territory, specifically Christmas Island, or any western country. The group was quite aggressive and agitated and Rinnan agreed to alter course for Christmas Island.

When interviewed by UK newspaper The Observer, Rinnan explained: "A delegation of five men came up to the bridge. They behaved aggressively and told us to go to Australia. They said they had nothing to lose.">
and

<Captain Rinnan, concerned that if the ship continued to sail to Indonesia the asylum seekers could jump overboard or riot and harm the crew, decided to head back towards Christmas Island.>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_affair

So the captain of the Tampa was subjected to threats and force. He was responsible to the owners of the vessel to return it, the cargo and the crew unharmed.

God knows what diplomatic advantage the Danes had to gain by not acknowledging that the Tampa was hijacked.

Should any nation give in to threats? Imagine if the threats were made to Japan. Or for that matter to Denmark.

Would that Australia had Denmarks agreement with surrounding countries to deter and manage economic migrants. Denmark will not accept any who have resided in a safe country before choosing Denmark. That is a flat "NO". Denmark turns them back at its border and there is no avenue for appeal of its immigration department's decisions.

Footnote to OTB's post:

<<About half an hour after the Tampa had set sail toward Indonesia, a delegation of five asylum seekers visited the bridge to demand passage to Australian territory...>>

And it's been a tactic employed many times since.The last being only a matter of days ago with a Maltese ship.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/suicide-threat-fuels-indonesia-asylum-row/story-fn9hm1gu-1226675669041

Funny that Everald Compton left that little detail out of his narrative, ay?

Can boat people be turned back ?
Yes ! If they can continue to impose themselves upon us we can continue to work on rejecting them.

...Quite obviously, the problem Australia has with boat people is "Indonesia".