Hi Marilyn,

Nobody is fleeing Afghanistan or Pakistan and coming directly by boat to Australia - they have to go through a second country, Afghanistan to Pakistan or Iran, or a third country, Indonesia, to get on a leaky boat. But, once in Indonesia, they are not fleeing from direct persecution or the threat of death.

So what is an 'acceptable' annual level of refugee intake, in your view ? Thirty thousand ? Fifty thousand ? Stop me when it all appears too ridiculous. One hundred thousand ? Half a million ? A million ?

So what's your 'acceptable level', Marilyn ? We all have one.

Right, that's established then.

Now: as we can be fairly certain that there are more people who have applied than can be 'absorbed' - even in terms of your own 'acceptable level', Marilyn, I'm sure - then there is a queue. People waiting their turn. People around the world who have done the right thing, submitted themselves for assessment, filled out the right papers, and waited. Probably millions in Africa alone, too destitute to afford any boat-rides.

So there's a queue. We can all understand why many people would want - out of misery and desperation - to jump the queue by hopping on a boat. But doesn't this simply put others further back in the queue, forced to wait even longer ? People who are at least as entitled to come to Australia in an annual quota, if not more so by virtue of having applied earlier ?

Some problems have no easy solutions, Marilyn :)

Or is it that I really am thick as two planks ? I can't see the obvious ?

Cheers,

Joe

You live in a fat, selfish country ruled by papers, Afhgans and Iraqis in particular have had their lives and countries blown to bits by us, how many papers do you think they have left?
Marylin,
They were blowing each other up in case you forgot why the outside forces interfered. They were blowing their country apart AND the oil supply to the rest of the world including thankless you.
Just so to show us that you can do without oil post a comment without using an oil-based utensil. Moron !

Loudmouth, they still don't need papers and as there is no country of protection between here and Afghanistan they are coming directly. The last bit of the journey is by sea because they cannot be protected in Indonesia.

I swear Australián's who write on the internet just blurt because they are too lazy to use the internet to see if there is any truth to what they are saying.

I fail to see what oil has to do with anything I wrote.

Loudmouth: there is nothing in any legal definition of a refugee that says they have to stop running as soon as they cross the boarder of the country where they are most at risk. If they find themselves in a place where they still aren't safe, they are entitled to keep running. Try it yourself one day. Relocate to a country where speaking the wrong language, being the wrong colour or having the wrong opinion can get you killed.

Once you've done queuing and working out what paperwork to fill out, let us all know how much you enjoyed the experience.

And maybe after all that, sit down and think through why so many refugees originate in war zones, and which countries participated in those wars. Iraq, Afghanistan: heard of those? Know anyone who was involved in screwing those conflicts up?

Marilyn says "I swear Australian's who write on the internet just blurt because they are too lazy to use the internet to see if there is any truth to what they are saying."

Excuse me... didn't you just post a comment on the Internet? Or don't your blurts count? Are you not Australian too? If not then perhaps you don't fully understand the potential threat to Australian cultural and social values in the long term if you follow your desire to throw open the doors to one and all.

Marilyn, how would you react if you were standing in a long line, almost there and 500 others pushed in front of you? I seriously doubt, given the stroppy nature you appear to possess, you'd just smile and accept it without a fuss.