This is disguised racist dribble. Take another look at the last line ..."the way to resolve it, is not to impoverish ourselves, but to use whatever leverage we may have to insist that the refugee burden be shared among regional countries, with religious affinity being a deciding factor on where asylum seekers, as distinct from legal immigrants, are settled."

So refugees impoverish us?? In the long terms migrants aid economic growth. Also, asylum seekers are "legal immigrants" if accepted. So there is no need for a distinction.

But my favourite line here is when she says that religious affiliation should decide where asylum seekers are settled .... whatever could a member of the Liberal Party mean by this?? Reading between the lines she means that the Muslim refugees should be settled in Muslim countries ... like Indonesia.

We can never trust the Liberals on questions of race or immigration. Maybe its best if Helen Dehn left Australia and went back to Germany? Australia is located in the Asia-Pacific. we are a multiracial and multicultural country. Get used to it Helen Dehn or get lost!!

Helen, I think you got it mostly right.
One point where I disagree is that the call for less immigration to
limit the population is not driven by asylum seekers but by an
understanding that the country cannot support 35 million people.
We are in water trouble now, just for one resource.
We have to take steps to stop our population exceeding 22 million.
We will not have the liquid fuels, gas and coal unless we stop exports
and keep it for our present population.
Asylum seekers alone won't make that much difference at their present
rate of arrival, but it seems a certainty that they will progress
to much larger ships.
The only way to stop that is to imprison the crews for 20 years.
That will stop it dead.

The problems with boat people in Italy is getting far worse than it
is here, but the writing is on the wall.

David took you to task for suggesting aligning settlement countries
with the culture/religion of the applicants.
Amazing how very sensible suggestions like that get up the nose of
the mad trendies and political correct.

John Howard got it right. He said that we (Australians) should decide who comes here. UN policies have managed to stuff most of Europe especially Britain and France. I think most fair minded Australians are happy to give most a fair go but most are not not in favour of having people come here and poop on our country and make it like most Muslim nations.

We are a multi-racial and multicultural country. Deal with it or move on.

We have a rapidly aging population and we need more immigrants. And frankly more immigrants from other Asia-Pacific nations is in our long term strategic and economic interests.

Well said David. Helen Dehn would have us accept that religous affiliation should over-ride humanitarian concecern. You are right to latch onto her 'solution', it is little short of racism.
Muslims look after muslims, etc., but hey, who looks after Catholics? Not George Pell, there are 30 Catholics on the boat in Merak harbour and the Catholic Church heirarcy and Tony, the Monk, Abbott do not give a fig for their welfare.
Back to the history books and the bible Helen, at the end of the day its all about compassion.
And water, plenty of it, just badly managed and uitilised in a most profligate manner by people who have no understanding of the complex Australian environment.
Bruce Haigh

Australia needs to step up to the mark. We are boarding the 'White Australia' policy.
We drag our heels on the real issues facing the world unless it is convenient, wrapped in a ribbon matched with potential one-sided promises of ideal worship for economic gold.

Your comment on reply to this article is appropriate David Jenning.

Facing complex problems regarding the wellbeing of "people" is better than dragging them out across political durations.

We do this internally as well.

Negating the social-economic needs of all those outside the full-time urban geared work force exclusively will creep up and bit us badly. We are marginalising a majority of the population of the world be in inside Australia or across the underdeveloped world.

The idea of Community as well as our moral goodwill as a nation appears to be noticeable shrinking.

This way we sell ourselves and our children out.

The Millennium Goals must be global rather than used as a song to feel good over the compromise of persisting hot air!

We have a reality of world issues to address. Some are internal and some are external. If reform is the key I suggest we get on with it.

http://www.miacat.com/

Cultural compatability should be considered.

Money is not what life should be about.

Put cultures together that clash then issues can last decades, even centuries.

People only live once and the priority should be where they are going to be the happiest, not the richest.

Racism everyday, everyday we are racist and so much energy, so much time and so much nonsense over non issues while we have real race issue being with Indigenous that we ignore. They are the only culture we should concern ourselves with.

Before multi-culturalism life was happier. Integration worked really, really well. So well we went in to bat for multi-culturalism because that was such a great feeling but it is a massive fail. I mean where are any signs of success? I mean succes meausered by culturally inclusive, sense of community and nto this living inside and nto mixing. So lonely.

Life is not all about money but more about community, well was once.

If good hearted Australians that wanted to welcome all people with open arms are routinely accused of racism, are told even if they do not know it they are, are told they are evil, are told it is all their fault. Well, if people who think they want to love everyone doesn't really, then we should admit it and end this cruel social experiment that is a form of cultural genocide (all for money). Seems NOBODY is happy with this arrangement except rich people.

One of the reasons Australia is “highly attractive” to illegals is that the people smugglers have different rates for Australia, the US and Europe.

And, guess what. Australia is the cheapest, not to mention the fact that we have had no border protection since Rudd dismantled the working system of protection introduced by the previous government. Another boat arrived today, and was escorted to Christmas Island. - almost 60 boats in 2009, with a good start of 4 already for 2010.

The way to resolve the problem is NOT Helen Dehn’s way; the only way to resolve the problem is to tow people smugglers’ boats and their cargoes out of Australian waters and see them on their way

Well said,Leigh. You other blathereres who know "better" please...
ask yourselves why asylum seekers and refugees want to settle in Australia ONLY. Those who are Muslims have the UAE,Iran,Pakistan, Malaysia, Borneo,Sarawak and Indonesia to pick from.These are all friendly Muslim states after all.Why dont they? Why Australia?
Someone suggested that its the cheapest.
Singapore is wealthier than we are so why not try to get there?
They say they love our country, love our lifestyle and the peace and harmony and our beautiful laws, Then when they are let in and settle down they begin to change their minds. Suddenly they arent too taken with our secular democratically generated laws through our popularly elected Parliament. Their imams stir them up and they say they dont recognise any other law other than what the Koran has for them, they want sharia law only and so on.
I've had a gut full of those who fall into my descriptio of whinging Muslims, BUT - ...NOT ALL Muslims. Some are educated and are happily culturally suitable. I'd love to meet with them and have them as friends. I have no objections to them becoming Australians. They have a lot to offer us.

socratase

I think the solution is not to try to secretly hassle our neighbours to take the asylum seekers we don't want (alienating these countries, and ignoring the fact that they also don't want them either) is to accept the fact that Australia doesn't seem to want to comply with the refugee laws some dead guy signed us up for, and ask to have our signature removed from the convention, and publicly declare we will no longer make any attempt to offer sanctuary.

This at least I'm sure most Australians will agree is appropriate.

What we do if they arrive anyway is follow through the usual checks and processes (authenticity, criminality, mental/emotional/cultural suitability/safety around Australians)- and only if absolutely zero suspicious or negative traits come up do we let them in- but secretly so as not to broadcast ourselves.

And the declining population is rubbish- our population is clearly increasing a lot, and last time I checked there seems to be a lot of new technologies and industries as well as environmental policies that 'threaten jobs'- so, naturally, if we don't need these jobs, and nobody is going to replace these jobs, and we have upcoming technologies that make these jobs unnecessary, then connect the dots.

Australia does NOT need 32 Million people- I'd just love one person to tell me where the extra 10 million are supposed to live.

Well said King Hazza.
Brilliant.
Why cant others see this point so lucidly exprssed?

socratease

I've long thought that the kind of racist thinking expressed in this article is what's behind Coalition policy towards asylum seekers and other refugees. While the racism's quite appalling, it is refreshing to see a Liberal being honest for a change.

It's election year.

This is just the first of many dog-whistles that we can expect to hear in the coming months.

Pericles,

Absolutely, the troglodytes will be out in force too.

We should implement the same immigration policies and requirements in respect of immigrants as that beacon of liberal democratic socialism, Denmark.

After all they've led the world on multi-culturalism for a generation and have been widely lauded in the past as a magnificient example for the rest of the world.

eg, Seven years resident before an application for citizenship, compulsory classes in Danish history and culture, banning of some types of religious marriage that engenders inequality, banning of religous towers, etc ...

What do you think Bruce and David?

ASIO knew Tamil asylum seekers were a threat to national security before they were transferred to Christmas Island, said the headline in the Australian.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/asio-knew-tamil-asylum-seekers-were-a-threat-to-national-security-before-they-were-transferred-to-christmas-island/story-e6frgczf-1225818503117

How fishy do things have to get. After what we went through with the Indian Doctor in Brisbane, wrongly accused during the Howard election, one wonders about the transparency of these current ASIO claims.

Critical: It is this type of double poke backflip that the 250 Tamil asylum seekers, who are now in the stand-off with Indonesian authorities at Merak, feared.

Trust together with confidence is the key issue here and is why many on the boat had refused to leave the boat after the Indonesian navy intercepted it in October, on Prime Minister Rudds request.

Seems this kind of strategy does work for the government if the idea is to send fear out as a primary message and motive. Either way the government wins the day but fails the trust factor when it comes to caring about Human Rights and the treatment of ethnic minorities, where there is a failure to disclose good and proper reason.... given the situation involves the war and conditions present in Sri Lanka. Not to mention evidience that the Tamil women interned after escaping the horrors of the civil war in Sri Lanka were sexually abused by their guards who traded sex for food.....

Google stories
http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&q=Sri%20Lanka%20refugee%20conditions&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn

It seems Australia, we need to update the process we made 30 years ago.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/01/2783771.htm

I ask Government frontbencher Penny Wong to please explain why she has defended the decision by security officials to deny entry to four Tamil asylum seekers on national security grounds.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/govt-defending-decision-to-block-tamils-20100112-m2y6.html

I hope this situation can be better resolved.

http://www.miacat.com/
.

Far be it from me to spoil the illusions of Australia as scene of mass influx of refugees - below are figures from the UN.

Geneva - Some 42 million people were displaced in 2008, having been forced to flee their homes due to conflict or persecution, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Tuesday. The overwhelming majority, some 26 million, were displaced within their own countries, while about 16 million became refugees and asylum seekers who crossed international borders.

Some 80 per cent of all refugees lived in the developing world. The UNHCR said this both placed an unfair burden on the poorer sections of the globe, while it also served to counter claims in the advanced economies that they were being "flooded" with refugees.

Pakistan topped the list of host countries with 1.8 million refugees, followed by Syria which had 1.1 million and Iran with 980,000.
Just Imagine the furore if this Australia was in this position.

Germany led in Europe, hosting 582,700 refugees.Australia takes in 6000 refugees annually- deducting the number who arrive informally by boat or formally by air from this number.

There were 2.9 million Afghan refugees and another 1.9 million Iraqis. Inside Iraq another 2.6 million were internally displaced. More than 2 million people were displaced in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The overall figure for 2008 showed a small drop of 700,000 people compared to the previous year. New displacements in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia in the first months of this year have offset even this slight reduction.

Similarly, the 2 million displaced people who returned home last year was a decline from the 2007 number. Refugee repatriation fell by 17 per cent, while internal returns dropped by 34 per cent.

Nearly 6 million people have been uprooted for more than five years, while some groups, such as many of the 3 million internally displaced in Colombia and the Palestinians, have not been able to return to their places of origin for decades.

Lets put the 1000 boat people in perspective .

Transparency Required. Rather than filter in and filter out the accusations explain the sources behind the information on this story.

As noted in tonights media, "If the details are coming from the Sri Lankan government, well then that is of great concern, because they are who these people are fleeing from in the first place....."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/asio-warning-ignored-for-deal-on-tamil-refugees/story-e6frg6nf-1225818601147

We need a solution that does follow through... it helps to hear that the "Rudd government approved the transfer to Australia of four Tamil refugees deemed to be a security threat while they were in detention in Indonesia to honour Canberra's special resettlement deal with Jakarta."

I don't understand why Australia would work to resettle the 5 mentioned today as a security risk [for what ever reason] to somewhere else.... don't we also have a sense of responsiblity....?

Pamela. Your work above is very useful. Thank You. I feel we as Australians drag scorely on the greater issue.

I also thought the question of "Human rights as Australian foreign policy" article by Phil Lynch was a good flush on the circles and aspirations around the matter given all the hooting we as Australians do on the world stage.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2789751.htm

If only we could see past our own shivering fear and respond with a will to resolving the issues inside a framework that deals with a "collective security". Each one of these people are human beings and while desperate their motives are not as dark as we paint.

ASIO needs to join the world outside of its own silo. ASIO does not run the country and has no where near the authority to spook. Trust is lagging here while the secret agent plays hamadryad over citizens and governments. ASIO needs to reform its culture and find a way to communicate more openly the reality of today's environment. President Bush is gone [remember] and with it I call for a revision of fear mongering tactics and outdated policies from ASIO.

http://www.miacat.com/
.

Ah I knew Helen would cop the wrath of the rabid “left” when she defended the historic base of Australia and its wealth creating sector against the interests of the “internationalists”, who support the debasement of the gene pool with the waifs and strays off the high seas

David Jennings “We are a multi-racial and multicultural country. Deal with it or move on.”

“Multiculturalism”, as you call, it is merely a small hiccup, which will be erased and forgotten about through the natural and irreversible process of Assimilation

Australia is a sovereign state, with a sovereign states right to decide who is allowed to settle here. We are not the doormat of the UN, to be told we will wipe the feet of anyone who happens to be sailing by.

Keep up the good work Helen...

We know it makes sense

Regionally Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia bear/have borne the larger portion of asylum seekers in the region. Even though Indonesia is not a signatory to the Convention, it houses asylum seekers in its detention camps, built and funded by Australia.

How we can talk of 'processing' asylum seekers according to religion? culture? Next it will be skin colour, height and weight? Are we returning to White Australia Policy or to Hitler's Aryan race? Is this why the Aborigines remain at the bottom rung in Australia?

Let us remember that asylum seekers are created by dictators, those who do not respect democracy and also by greedy of rich nations exploiting resources and keeping them in power: eg Sudan, DRC, Papua New Guinea.

Asylum seekers need our compassion, they are the victims and not exploiters. Please do not try to incarcerate them, they are human.

The Author of this explosive issue is copping more then her fair share of denigration for being honest. The majority of abuse comes from the ' rogue elements ' e.g redneck, xenophobic misogynist, resentful of her provocative stance in addressing a very pressing National, social, community conundrum which Rudd, Abbott, Brown,etc have so far disingenuously failed to accomplish. The Pollies, for all their Bureacratic minders,and " think tanks " have only muddied the waters, cost taxpayers heaps, and continue to perplex/confuse most citizens with their ineptitude and blissful ignorance. Do we have a Plan D for the long term Kevin ?

Helen cites the moral, emotive, humanitarian, short term expediency issues. Her detractors go for her Political allegiance jugular ! It's irrelevant because she is not in the shadow Ministry, nor in Parliamant.

The mere existance of tens of millions of Refugees from conflicts around the Globe, is something we have to live with: like poverty.
Amusingly, that most Wars, since the end of the War-to-end-all-wars, was spoken in all sincerity and Universally sanctioned by all. Now, some people are even calling for the perpetrators of Wars to be tried for: War Crimes against Humanity - if only, just to put a moratorium on future conflicts, and deter would be despots/dictators from wholesale murder, destruction, refugees etc. The extenuating aftermath often extending well beyond borders, generations, and time zones.

Apart from the very pressing skill's, ADF etc shortages.Our dependence on Exports for growth, our obligations to our Pacific neighbours paradigm, the asylum equation is not as forthright as many would have us believe.
It is no secret our Border Protection Authorities are a dismal failure. For the money spent on aerial/naval/UAV surveillance, we would be far better resorting to local Aboriginal " coast watchers " to identify wannabe broachers, at one fiftieth the price.

Wilson Tuckey raised the ' terrorist bogey ', and ASIO confirmed our misgivings. Recently Dr Haneef was incarcerated by our dauntless AFP on spurious charges, only to be exonerated, publicly maligned, and later compensated, with no apology. ASIO is not required by Commonwealth Law to devulge it's mere existance, nor to comment on it's findings. End of story ?

Treasury modelling reveal with the Baby Boomers ageing, and the population reaching retirement, it takes 5 employee's tax earnings to support this mob. By 2015, only 2.5 employed would be left to provide the same service. Without migration, who is going to support the elderly ? The requirements for the Aged isn't a cut and dry procedure. Hospital, housing and ongoing support is absolutely vital to their meagre existance. Your Parents may well be on the roll !

Who then is going to protect us from the hordes, in this vast Continent ? Dad's Army ?

Australia's detested " White Aust Policy " still prevails, and where ever I visited in Asia, Japan, Korea,Singapore, Cambodia, the conversation always steers to Clive Cadwell, Ben Chiefly etc and are we a Racist Nation ? It surprised me, that despite Gillard's $ 2 Billion ( monopoly money ) revamped Education curriculum, students cannot describe the event, yet Aussie History is taught in thatched, rickety outhouses with no desks or mod cons, to children seated on deck boards ? Money isn't the panacea for knowledge Julie. Worst, having to defend the indefensible for some witless Politician with delussions of grandeur, and a superiority complex - that's the rub.

To be continued.. !

Over a decade 108,540 visas were granted permanent residency under the Skill Migration Program.It's patently obvious there's a chronic shortage of Professional and Technical tradesman. With the Building boom escalating and everybody wanting a piece of the action, carpenters, electricians, draughtsman, architects etc have never had it so good. On the Coast, it's bedlam trying to get a ' traddie ' to return your calls - they haven't got the time, much less the motivation to tender quotes. Time is money.

41,800 persons were sponsered by Business Entities. Among these key personnel e.g Doctors, Specialist, Engineers ,Psychologist, Nursing staff etc are in this category. ABS estimates that in their first year $ 581m will enrich the Economy. By year 15, $ 1.01 B would be generated. There is ample evidence these New Australians pay their way, earn their keep, and subscribe in many ways, to the Wealth of the Nation. Pity, we have to compete with other more affluent Nations, for their professional expertise. An ominous sign of the times !

DIAC - Immigration & Citizenship, expect 168,000 new migrants 2009/10. Under the Humanitarian Program 13,700 - 6000 Refugees (Asylum seekers) plus 7500 others may qualify for special circumstances entry criteria.

It is on record, Canada, US, and Oz are among the top three Nations committed to 1951 UN Refugee Convention Charter, and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, out of 146 signatories.

What is not generally known, we accepted 140,000 on Humanitarian grounds, and a staggering 675,000 refugees since WWII. Mostly form ME, Africa, Thailand, Burma etc. Over a 12 year period, 1.3 million visa holders were granted permanent residency status.Due to a growing demand, and a relaxation of previous Govt policies, 13 amedments / changes (2009/10) were incorporated into the Act, to make it more accessible and user friendly. TPV's,THV's,885,487 visas were abolished. Since June 2009, Asylum seekers can apply for Visa applications to join the growing queues of 36,900 applicants. Most visitors apply through MARA - migration agencies, well before they board their plane in their Country of origin.There are well over 5500 Registered Agents

..who provide Legal Aid, commercial, and noncommercial advice, and paperwork. There is no minimum set fee. It's a case-by-case process, and a burgeoning Industry, increasing by the minute. Lucrative, easy money for shysters out to fleece their largely ignorant victims. We relentlessly pursue " people smugglers ", yet ignore a prolific rort - right under our roof ?

For Business Skill's entry, it cost's $3000/10,000.Child migration : $1500/4000. Student (TRS) entry $700/1000.Reviews: $500/750. DIAC encourages the use of Agents to minimise their work load. To be fair, some really low life weasels, have been struck off for abusing the largely unchecked modus operandi. Rarely, and only after serious multiple complaints.

DIAC provides all sorts of grants, financial assistance, incentives for people intending to settle here. Accommodation, food, health care, language assistance etc are their primary focus. Asylum seekers are contracted to reimburse the Commonwealth onshore or offshore, for expenses.In reality, this surcharge is only a token symbolic gesture.. Taxpayers foot the myriad Bureaucratic departments e.g Justice,ASIO, AFP, Health etc. In 2007, a disgrunted ex Baxter inmate went Public, complaining of a $92,500 bill, his gaolers charged him, whilst languishing in that fetid gulag, amidst a previously disused UK (1949-58)Atomic Bomb Test site, which was subsequently returned to the Aboriginals !

His claims raised the expected kafuffle. The usual Politicians cried shame, but Immigration defiantly stuck to their guns, and issued a rebuttal in the newspapers. Finally, he absconded, leaving a few embarrassed red-faced Officials. The Auditor General needless to say, scrubbed the debt ( nonrecoverable, it seems!)

There are many more anecdotal incidents that never make the newsprint. Perhaps in the long term, it is just as well. A V was promoted, and shunted off to NY to a cushy UN posting, many would die for. Remarkably, she was never included in the New Year's Honours List. A coveted AO would do her proud, dont you think ?