*About half our intake is from UNHCR referred cases,*

Exactly. And if it were not for rich Sri Lankans etc pushing their
way in here, all 13'000 could come from UNHCR refugee camps,
where many people don't have two cents. They are the really
destitute and the forgotten. But they are not shoved under
peoples noses like the present boat people, they don't have the
money like the present boat people, so they miss out. That has
stuff all to do with fairness.

no Yabby, the Sri Lankans on the boats are not taking the places of the people referred by UNHCR. They are sharing the sponsored places which may instead include relatives of Sri Lankans already here. They are probable to have the same level of need. But it is a debateable point and the programs should be separated. The bringing together of the programs of on and offshore was a Howard wedge. The only reason we are having boat arrivals shoved in our faces is because the Oppoisition is trying to win an election. I don't think people coming from camps would see you and other refugee angered people as their greatest advocates. You are denigrating refugees.

and, there is never a good reason to punish anyone who has fled from persecution. Even if they do have money, this is not a crime.

*no Yabby, the Sri Lankans on the boats are not taking the places of the people referred by UNHCR.*

Yes they are. We take 13'000 a year, if less arrive on boats, we
take more from camps. So these rich kids are stealing the places
of far more deserving people.

*Even if they do have money, this is not a crime.*

Oh no, its not a crime. But of course the word is out now in Sri
Lanka, tell a good sob story about being persecuted and Australia
is your oyster. No wonder that those with money are flooding in.

Silly me always thought that helping refugees was a humanitarian
programme to help the most deserving. Clearly that is not the
case, but more like we spend a billion $ a year to satisfy the
emotional needs of some very gullible Australians.

from UNHCR last year-

Geneva, Monday, Dec. 7th, 2009 - As many as 50 per cent of the
world’s 10.5 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate are now
living in cities and towns across the globe. At least twice that number of internally displaced people and returnees are believed to be in urban settings.

“We need to abandon the outmoded image that most refugees live in
sprawling camps of UNHCR tents,” UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees
António Guterres said. “What we are witnessing is that more and more
refugees live in cities.”

“ As many as 50 per cent of the world’s 10.5 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate are now living in cities and towns across the globe…”

Spot on Mellon ( sorry MelloM)– and it doesn’t stop there.

I ‘d add, at least 50% or ALL city dwellers in Southern Asia would qualify as bona fide refugees under the Mellom
“We can't blame people for doing whatever they can to escape …they live in appalling conditions” formula .