*The problem is the legal restrictions which the Convention imposes*

Yup. The problem is that UNHCR now has control of our borders,
because of a Convention that was never designed for today's world
and is 60 years out of date.

MS Cox is naive to think that the easier we make it, that this
won't turn into a flood. It defies all human nature. Fact is
Australia cannot save the world, we can simply do our share.

That share should be clearly spelled out and the funding to achieve
it should be clearly spelled out, including our terms and conditions.

If that does not suit the UNHCR, then we should withdraw from
the convention and just proceed on our own terms. I bet a number
of countries would soon copy us, despite the howls of protest from
the emotionally engulfed and extreme left.

Peter Humes post makes the most sense. It's what I have thought about the whole episode but I always assume I am missing some key bit of info when the solution seems obvious to me.

Maybe we get some kind of benfit by joining the pious club of leftie lawyers?

I think on the whole it's worth investigating what we get out of these little clubs. Surely handing over our sovereign independence to third parties ins't the best idea. What do we get? Anyone know?

I'd love to one day reject these clubs and then the next usurp them in the touchy feely motherhood stakes and laugh at them and goad them and say we're more virtuous and motherly and still wont sign because *you* don't come up to scratch.

Then sit back and watch them all fight umong themselves about the shame! The shame that the bogan racist straya is laughin' at 'em.

What was that?

Stop tools comments: Using the public service as political.

Absolute Rubbish article
"the communities would hardly notice them"
The people in the inner west of Sydney, Tamworth and Camden would say otherwise about their new visitors- and you know it.

In fact, neighbors of our more recent asylum seekers very clearly notice the problems of dealing with these people.

Of course, we're not important enough to register. The fact is, when you take in the wrong people, you still get the same conflicts- simply at a smaller scale that only negatively impacts the people more local, whilst news usually ignore it.

And Australia is NOT suffering 'hard economic times' at all to warrant your lazy, rubbish stereotype that poverty creates hostility to migrants.
In fact, much of Europe is doing pretty well at the moment- and the countries doing better economically are actually the most problematic with specific 'demographics'. Perhaps it has something to do with the substantial differences of mindset these migrants have than in the past?

'So if, in law, they are genuine refugees, Australia may legally reject their applications for a protection visa if they are offshore, but not if they are onshore. *That* is what sets up this entire dynamic of people desperately trying to get onshore. '

And Peter Hume has got to the crux of the matter.

The idea of 'frank and fearless' advice is often debated within public service corridors and in fairness it is impossible to generalise. Briefings sent to the various Ministers traditionally include a risk assessment in any proposal. This is normal and not necessarily contrived by the political masters but it is also usual for these risks to be discussed before puting pen to paper hence the assessments are more likely to reflect those discussions. Much depends on the players.

The only way to know what was actually advised is to seek out those briefings on refugee policy through FOI.

There is political unrest throughout Europe and the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment widespread, so for a public servant to anticipate a similar response here is not altogether surprising given overseas experiences are something on which we should reflect. It is the risk assessment of the same occuring here which should be rooted in reality. Australia does not as yet have the population pressures of Europe with a lot of people living on top of each other in small spaces as the norm. In Australia the most populated and congested areas usually in areas of disadvantage, are where the most tensions around migrants or refugees are to be found, hence the focus on Western Sydney. Australia also did not experience the worst of the GFC which traditionally puts pressures on migrant issues.