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The Forum > Article Comments > Desperate measures > Comments

Desperate measures : Comments

By Susan Metcalfe, published 29/4/2009

The increased activity of people smugglers close to Australia has not happened overnight and it did not begin under the Rudd Government.

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Sounds good to me!! ;)
Posted by Ginx, Friday, 1 May 2009 3:24:59 PM
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Much of marketing is managing perception.

The question is not how we perceive the changes to the Pacific solution, but how it is conveyed to potential boat people, given that the people telling them most probably won't be immigration officials, but those selling the seats on the boat.

That there is a push factor in that there are more refugees, and that this will have an effect on numbers, there is no dispute, however, the question as to whether the increased numbers is solely due to the push factors or partially due to the relaxing of the immigration policy is difficult to substantiate. However, some of the information I gleaned from an ABC radio interview and from newspapers: (I am open to correction)

Worldwide refugees have increased by about 12%
Asylum seekers to Australia have increased by about 20-25%
Asylum seekers in interviews are aware of the relaxation of the immigration policy.

In the absence of the push and pull factors happening independently, the above figures could well be mostly due to the unique attraction of Australia, and a lopsided refugee exodus, but equally the imbalance could be entirely due to change in policy.

Labor claims that the entire increase is due to push factors, the liberals claim the pull factor, as per their own interests.

I personally believe that it is somewhere in between.
Posted by Democritus, Sunday, 3 May 2009 1:30:21 PM
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