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The Forum > Article Comments > Can boat people be turned back? > Comments

Can boat people be turned back? : Comments

By Everald Compton, published 9/7/2013

In August 2001, MV Tampa, a freighter owned in Norway, was on the high seas south of Indonesia when it picked up a May Day call from Palapa 1.

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Can boat people be turned back?

A better question might be: does anyone *really* want to stop the boats?

From ABC Lateline last night --an interview with Major General (retired) Jim Molan.

Indonesia has 150 naval vessels but NOT A SINGLE ONE of them is positioned in the south in the stretch of water favored by people smugglers and the HMAS courtesy bus service.
Posted by SPQR, Tuesday, 9 July 2013 10:56:51 AM
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Denmark doesn't have any appeals process against decisions by its Immigration Department.

Denmark has no qualms about returning economic migrants to where they ccame from, or to any other safe country.

Australia allows appeals, which are enormously expensive to the taxpayer and fether the nests of a gaggle of lawyers, advocates and bureaucrats. Appeals delay processes to months and even years, which Denmark can complete in a matter of days. Where is the sense in our complicated and hugely expensive appeals and reviews?

Politicians are supposed to be working for Australians and should be representing the views of the electorate, not kow-towing to lobbyists and activists.
Posted by onthebeach, Tuesday, 9 July 2013 11:20:01 AM
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If uninvited people arrive here by irregular means, minus either a visa or identifying documents, they should be immediately repatriated.
Failing that, abandon them in the transit lounges of their home countries?
Foreign citizens are invariably, someone else's responsibility!
Just after the second world war, Europe was literally awash with displaced persons/refugees. Their most treasured and prized possessions were in fact their identifying documentation.
This was their only ticket to eventual relocation and or migration. It should also be the same today!
Even then, if we have no other choice but to accept some of them under enduring temporary protection?
It should never ever also include family reunion or "unearned" permanent residency.
This would send an uncompromising message, and indeed, shut down the people smugglers business model completely and for all time?
With the billions we could save just by taking this one irrefutable stand, we could affordablely and quite dramatically, increase our "GENUINE" refugee intake.
Those refugees could help themselves by learning English and accepting mandated relocation address outcomes and assimilation?
We also need to avoid simply creating more no go ghettos!
People who can actually afford to pay passage of around $4500.00 per person, for a single one way fare from Indonesia to Christmas Island, are economic refugees.
Genuine Asylum seekers escaping, often with what they stand in, simply do not have that kind of money or resources?
If things are so bad at home for economic migrants, the obvious course for us, is to do what we can to improve their economic prospects at home.
Rather than leave them with few other choices, but to possibly drown themselves or family members at sea!
Micro loans and improving educations outcomes for females is part of the answer, as may be a much more direct funding model for our current foreign aid; and, wherever possible, exposing official corruption and human rights abuses.
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Tuesday, 9 July 2013 12:08:54 PM
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Everald you said "The Law of the Sea" that is a ship must rescue you, true enough. The rescued then go where the ship is going.
In this case those miserable pirates threaten their way to where they wanted and never mind the ship. Disgusting conduct by them should have been rewarded by instant deportation.
Disgusting conduct by you, telling lies to bias to your opinion. First mate tell the truth and then your opinion can be listened to.
Who do you think you are some lawyer?
Posted by JBowyer, Tuesday, 9 July 2013 6:37:16 PM
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People such as the author need to recognise that there are two, and only two alternatives that we can pursue:

1. To permit an unlimited number of these people to enter Australia.

2. To place a limit on the number allowed to enter.

To enforce option 2 you must have an effective system that prevents any persons above the limit from entering. Otherwise you are operating system 1.

Too many people seem to think that this is a minor temporary problem that will soon go away. How wrong they are. The world cannot cope with its current population of 7 billion, and when it gets to 9 billion it will be much worse. To see the wave of the future in most of the underdeveloped world you just have to look at Egypt and Syria.

I agree that the current situation is untenable. What the government should do is abrogate all asylum treaties, and authorise the navy, in the last resort, to use lethal force to stop the boats. All current detainees should be immediately deported, and if their country of citizenship will not accept them, the country forfeits its foreign aid.

We would most probably only need to fire on two or three boats for all the others to stop.

It is not a pleasant world we live in, and it is going to get much worse. To avoid the fate of Europe we need to act now to keep out such of these people as the government has not permitted to enter.

I have nothing against refugees, wherever they come from. Australia has admitted many thousands since WW2 very successfully. However they all came with permission. As John Howard said: We will decide who enters Australia and the circumstances in which they come."
Posted by plerdsus, Tuesday, 9 July 2013 10:27:58 PM
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Can the boats be turned back? Of course they can.

First, the Australian government must inform the Indonesian government that it regards the Indonesian government involvement in the people smuggling trade a hostile act, and it will regard Indonesia as an enemy country if the Indonesian government does not stop the obvious connivance with the illegal immigrants who are headed for Australia.

However much Australia would like good relations with our neighbour, we should not let a hostile neighbour take our good intentions (and our money) while doing everything it can to annoy us, and at the same time using the "who me?" defence.

In the case of Sri Lankan boats, which are now bringing Sinhalese illegal immigrants as well as Tamils claiming persecution, put them in a camp and wait until enough of them are there to charter a ship large enough to send them back to Sri Lanka under armed guard. If the ship is not allowed to dock by the Sri Lankan government, then this in itself is proof that the Sri Lankan government really does want to get rid of Tamils by sending them to Australia. The same sanctions which should then apply to a hostile Indonesia should apply to Sri Lanka.
Posted by LEGO, Wednesday, 10 July 2013 6:51:28 AM
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