Horus that is the stuff of desperate people! If they weren't desperate they wouldn't be so frightened of being returned. They didn't tell the government they wanted to go to those countries, those were the countries who offered to help to get the government out of a sticky political scenario. You can spin in circles but those people were found to be refugees with a genuine fear of persecution, they were in desperate need and now they are safe.

yabby, yabby, yabby, the money argument just does not wash. If you met some of these people you would see how poor they are and come from villages. a lot have deals to repay the money. but poverty should not determine whether soemone is a refugee or not.
Not all Tamils and Hazaras are refugees and they are not all trying to find refuge. We have a process and anyone without a refugee claim is sent back.
Seeking asylum is chaotic, we are so protected here in Australia from what goes on in people's lives. They are not all standing in an orderly queue waiting to be selected. The places that people on boats are taking are from sponsored applicants, so they are not necessarily of the profile you are talking about. They are usually relatives of someone already here. Only 6,000 (I think that's still the number) are UNHCR referred places and that has remained the same.
The current selection processes are not fair anyway. You have some sort of ideal world vision but it's not the reality.
and to fire guns at boats with women and children and force them back or bring back the horrible camps in other countries where people were damaged so badly is a disgusting way to deal with what you see as such a big problem. why don't we take less migrants, bring it down from the present couple of hundred thousand and take more from the camps that you are so worried about. Fifty thousand less migrants and fifty thousand more refugees from the camps. Mellom or Mellon

i take that back... they are tame here compared to the Redneck article from yesterday where they are in their element..

*yabby, yabby, yabby, the money argument just does not wash. If you met some of these people you would see how poor they are and come from villages*

Mellom, of course it washes. Your problem is that you see the
world from your perspective, wear your heart on your sleeve and
want to help "the poor dears".

Life in the third world is rough, I know that, I have been there.
But the fact is, Australia cannot take them all. The solution is
to change and improve things in these countries, so everyone
benefits.

If you and others think that we should take 50'000 a year, you are
free to convince some political party to make it an election issue.
Its then up to the people to decide. If the majority of Australians
don't agree that is their choice and you have to wear it.

What it comes down to is this. The present boat fiasco is neither
fair, nor is it a cost effective way of doing things.

The 1951 Convention is 60 years out of date and should be upated,
so that it is not misused by economic migrants to tell a few spin
stories of fear of persecution and steal the places of genuine
refugees. Its not just a problem here, but Europe too. Those
people streaming from Africa at least are honest and open about
it. They want the Western cushy lifestyle and will risk their
lives to get it. In Mexico its the same

Yabby we are obliged not to refoule people, we can't send people back to their death. You can advocate for that and people who are ignorant of exactly what they are supporting may agree. But decent societies don't punish people. YOu can call me a bleeding heart or weak or caring or whatever you want but if someone is assessed to be a refugee they deserve protection. We are only talking about just over twenty thousand people in thirty years coming on boats. The hatred that is ignited is just bizarre for such a small number. That's all I have to say, needless to say I will continue to give support to people who have been tortured and been through multiple traumas, from boats or land masses, and you and others are free to fight to make their lives harder. Adios

and just for persepective. 500,000 thousand people are trying to get over the border from Mexico each year. We are discussing a few thousand at our borders with very different circumstances.