Yabby,

I thought it was obvious I was being cheeky and having a lend of you. Yes, your argument has some merit, but the deeper point underpinning my view is you're nowhere near 100% right like your writing style would suggest. There are always elements of doubt, as well as a balance of right and wrong, in every situation of this type.

OK, someone may have drilled holes in the bottom of the boat or something equally silly, but it may have been out of desperation or just a little bit wrong because they were worried sick they were going to be left out in the wilderness otherwise. This is a plain human emotion at work – and if that’s all it is, it should not be a hanging offence.

Banjo,

You suffer from the same disease as Yabby - that of only thinking in your terms and not understanding that everyone is different and their motivations are not the same as yours. I bet people coming here in leaky boats would be very thankful to be here and would make good citizens. I'd suggest your venom could be better directed at other migrants that come here by more conventional means (ie by plane). Eg, I remember back in the 80s, the Kiwis that came here thought they owned the place and were hanging out at the local dole office demanding this and that payment. Now, if you ask me, bringing those types of people here is like importing a flock of mynah birds into your backyard. Yours is a classic case of reacting to yesterday’s problems and associating all asylum seekers with them. This is wrong as there are some genuine ones amongst them.

Space constraints don’t permit me to answer your questions, other than to say that I’ve already answered some of them on this and the http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3171 thread.

RobP,
You are the one with screwed up standards or are simply gullible.

While I think our immigration rate is far too high, I have no argument with those that are legal immigrants or those that come here legally and then apply for, and are granted, refugee status. My argument is against those that lie and cheat to impose themselve upon us.

You are now saying that I should be against legal migrants and legally arrived refugees but welcome the unscrupulous people who act in a deceitfull manner. Just where are your standards of fair play.

I will remain against the illegals until such time you, or anyone else, can demonstrate that their actions are honourable.

Your link did not answer the questions I put to you and I will add another.

In view of the fact that we annually issue many thousands of visas to people from the same countries that the illegals come from. can you give reason why the illegals would not get visas to enter Aus legally?

Press reports say 75% of Sri Lankans have been deported as failed asylum seekers. So wonderful. They spend fortunes that could have kept them a nice life but have risked life and limb plus been detained...for nothing. Nothing, another knife in their back.

yet people support this? I don't understand. I guess they really wanted some slave labour to work the fields or something.

*This is a plain human emotion at work – and if that’s all it is, it should not be a hanging offence.*

Sheesh RobP, are you now suggesting that people should not be
held responsible and accountable for their actions?

I remind you that a good % of people are in jail, because plain
human emotions were at work!

People around the world get themselves into all kinds of trouble,
then are held accountable and have regrets. That's life.

Around the world there are people who apply to migrate to Australia,
potentially great migrants, who respect our rules and play by
them. They too, commonly have extremely sad stories to tell.

There are millions of refugees in camps, doing it really tough.
Our 78 clearly did not have those problems, for they had plenty
of cash to pay the smugglers, lived in Indonesia, some seemingly
having married Indonesian women. Their country is no more at war,
things are stabilising.

Banjo's link made for interesting reading, in just how violent
and rude, some of these people are. Yet you excuse it all,
never mind the real refugees in camps, never mind the migrants
playing by the rules, politely and respectfully.

Sorry, but I have a sense of fairplay and blackmailing Australia
is not part of that. There are frankly far more deserving cases
out there, then the 78 which the tv cameras are dangling in front
of you.

Give me airline asylum seekers any day. They are commonly out
of here within a few days, at their own expense, papers and all,
if shown to be frauds. Its high time that we closed down the
boat trade for good and only accepted people sailing here from
immediate neighbouring countries, not country shoppers who
want a cushy lifestyle at our expense.

The next federal election would be a timely, long overdue, opportunity for a referendum to clarify majority views about asylum seekers and immigration. Has public opinion about such sensitive matters ever been directly sought by an Australian Government? However, most political parties seem to crave indefinite maximum economic growth, although ultimately unsustainable, so population growth is necessary fuel for that furnace.

I have enjoyed these posts and learned an awful lot about the subject. Since the episode about the Oceanic Viking two more boat loads of refugees have arrived with about 200 more demanding to be taken in.Is there no end to these invasions?
Something has to be done soo to end it all.
How can we not show but prove that enough is bloody well definitely enough and only those whose status has been verified and accepted will be admitted.
The first shots have to be fired across the bows as a first warning. The Indon naval police have just recently as yesterday shown they have the balls to do it so why cant we? Are we too civilized and humane that we are locked in to our inertia grandstanding?

socratease