Well according to this story in the SMH, the smugglers are moving
in on anyone in Sri Lanka with enough money. There are clearly
great quids to be made and our suckers here will no doubt
buy their stories.

Never mind those with no money, left behind, they have no chance,
as the prize goes to those who pay enough bribes. Hardly
a fair system IMHO.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/smugglers-set-sights-on-thousands-of-tamils-20091019-h51m.html

All that is required under the Convention is to claim to have
a legitimate fear. A bit of acting and away we go!

I can't imagine how I formed the opinion that Yabby's intention is to discredit asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Clearly, it was a bad call - not.

Ludwig, you're beneath contempt. You approach the debate about asylum seekers like a schoolkid forming playground alliances.

CJ, it is my intention to see things as they are and it is my
intention that if we have a system, it is a fair one, which does
not favour those who manage to con the system or those simply
wealthy enough to use their money to make the difference.

If you have so little empathy for those at the back of the queue,
that you can only focus on what is dangled in front of your
tv screen on the news, then you really are as stupid as I had
suspected all along. Thanks for making my case for me.

The number of asylum seekers is miniscule both in global terms and in terms of the numbers of refugees that are expected as a result of climate change. We are so far away from being prepared for the mass dislocation of people that is expected from climate impacts...When 100 million people lose their homes and begin to move seeking safety, food, water, home, what do we do then? Instead of the knee jerk xenophobia that seems to be the norm, we need to address the reality of refugees at a global scale and with far greater humanitarianism and compassion than we are currently showing.

How can Greg Barnes be possibly called a journalist? It's sad, the state of affairs here.

Surely an extension of the stupid leftie argument that we help all their rich ones and let them in, would be to go there with troops and force them to live like westerners?

This way we help them all! It's only because we follow western values that our nation is good.

Non-west = bombed out crapholes full of tribalism, sectarianism, murder, rape, pillage, and RACISM between various ethnic clans, i.e. Tamils.

West = best!

To Greg Barns, E.Sykes, Bruce Haigh, CJ Morgan and next.

You and everyone who agrees with your point of view about the issue of boat people is HATEFUL, XENOPHOBIC, RACIST AND IGNORANT.

What's that? There's no argument in my argument? Just abuse?

I love the "I'm right because YOUR'E A RACIST !" argument.

As they say in the sporting arena, play the ball not the man. I will point out that no comment has been made about allowing certain races but not others entry to Australia, and no comments have been made to suggest stopping all entry of refugees or immigrants, just illegals. So I would love to hear what you think is racist?

From the authority on refugees UNHCR: http://www.unhcr.org.au/basicdef.shtml

Who is a refugee?

A refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…"

Article 1, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

The important point I believe is "fear of persecution". Once refugees have escaped that persecution, are they still considered refugees? Or does fear of persecution in your own country give you a free pass to relocate to any part of the world you wish?

I believe that refugees stop being refugees when they are no longer persecuted. From that point I believe they are then choosing to continue and should be considered immigrants.

For example - A group of Muhajir Afghans flees Afghanistan. They can go to Pakistan or Iran and find safety from presecution in those countries. Yet, they continue over 9000kms to try to reach Australia. For reference, travelling 9000kms would mean they could reach any country in Europe, most of Asia and most of Africa all over land. That to me makes me question why they try to reach Australia by paying top dollar to get on rickety old boats.