I admit I have only read around half of this article and had to stop, due to the complete bias and distortion of the writer.

A few points

"lining up in the hot sun..." and what does the average person on Manus island have to do, probably exactly the same

" the state of the toilet facilities.." really, when my toilet at home is dirty I can complain too, or I can CLEAN it.

I noted this morning that the accused who STABBED TO DEATH a shopper in a Sydney shopping centre just a few days ago came here by boat. Thanks to people like the write of this article who cannot understand that these people are bringing to this country the very conditions they are trying to escape.

When will people like the write of this article start caring for ordinary Australians who are also doing it very tough, and there are thousands of them.

I apologise for the rushed nature of this response, however the kind of bias and deception that people such as this writer displays makes me very angry.

<<Recently the Tamil Refugee Council has claimed at least 11 people handed over to the Sri Lankan navy have been tortured>>

Citing the Tamil Refugee Council on issues like this is like citing the Tobacco Marketing Corp about the health benefits of cigarettes.

How about we start a new system for appraising refugees that excludes any lawyers. It would be cheaper and a lot quicker. We could have fellow Australians questioning the new chum and see what they think of them for a start.
This woman has made a career out of trying to guilt her fellow Australians. Judy Judy Judy it will not wash! We don't believe these people are anything other than a drain on the rest of us and a complete waste of our time.
Another case of people who destroyed their own country and will almost certainly end up trying to do the same here.

Australia does and should assist asylum seekers. But not those wanting a "better life". Australia cannot solve the world refugees problem - but what it can do is to triage and assist the most vulnerable, those that are most in danger, according to our capacity. Those arriving by boat ARE jumping the queue - there may be others in more desperate need of resettlement and those arriving by boat are preventing these people from getting the assistance they most desperately need.

I have to agree with the others. Those who come here by boat are basically jumping the queue. If they come by boat and are admitted they are displacing someone, equally if not more desperate, in a refugee camp. They do not alter the refugee quotas if more people come by boat. The number accepted are still the same. If they author wants more refugees in Australia she should agitate to change the quotas, not campaign for queue jumpers.

No, it is hard to believe, and as others have noted, not too dissimilar from sending Jews back to their Nazi persecutors?
I mean and for heavens sake, there were women and children on board!
Other choices included, sending them (back) to India, which has a very large very sympathetic Tamil population, or send them to Manus or Nauru, for much more thorough, space age investigation?
Only proven war criminals, or just hardened criminals ought to be returned for a taste of so called, Shri Lanken justice!
Where it seems, includes disappearing some people, many of who are never seen again!?
In any event, none of those more humane options, need ever include resettlement in Australia!
In conclusion, our strong action is likely to send a chill through virtually all refugees, who may only venture here, as their very last or only resort!
This tough medicine ought to be accompanied by a serious lift in genuine properly documented refugee settlement, always providing, they learn English before applying; accept space age lie detection assisted interviews; and go to those locations, where we actually want/need more able bodied people!
Rhrosty.