Picture this:
A couple arrive at Gatwick. Their bags are checked, 18,000 cigarettes & 28 kgs of tobacco are discovered.
Enough to incur a 10,000 pounds tax.

The male ( the only who speaks), makes out it was all a mistake.
“Why would I bring my wife if I was intending to do anything dishonest…”
But when this doesn’t evoke the desired get off.
Morphs in the twinkling of an eye into an asylum seeker :
“If you send my back to India I’ll be killed
“ I’ll kill myself here and now
“I’ll kill myself here and now if you want
“I want asylum
And, produces *real tears* ( no doubt evidence of deep trauma!)

Incredible ? http://fixplay.ninemsn.com.au/customs/3/8258534/episode-16

Someone trying to extract himself from a tight situation –yes, no doubt.

But you don’t get such a conditioned response unless there is more to it. And the more to it is that for much of the developing world it is common knowledge that most Western nations are suckers for the asylum seekers ruse.

As it turns out, this passenger eventually reneges and returns to India after wining an agreement that customs would not reveal his little escapade.
He had been, this time, primarily concerned about making a little exact money.

But if next time he decides to head down south to Christmas Island ,ditch his passport , claim to be from one of the UNHCRs top of the pops list of bad places, then cries: ‘If you send me back I’ll kill myself “ -– little doubt he’d be “found to be a genuine refugee”

SPQR,

There's nothing worse than cigarette smuggling refugees, I'm sure you'll agree.

Let's hope the authorities turn all those adults and kiddies upside down and shake them just to make sure there's no contraband before they even consider asylum.

My answer to this asylum seeker's situation is simple- if he is either a potential danger, religious nut, criminal, demonstrates no morals, mentally-or-emotionally unstable or violent, or presents himself in any way that would imply he is not going to integrate into Australia society as a safe and (reasonably) honest citizen, then send him back regardless of consequences.

If not- give his claim a second look (let him stay in the community), or find a third country where he will be safe.

Unlike, in my view, the other two posts I get your point and agree very much so.
Worth noting a few things.
This refugee like most arriving here by boat had cash,
This one clearly is dishonest, great for the country he was entering .
My memory's of refugees,the people who helped my country become the great nation it is, is tattered and worn suit cases arriving by boats but big ones, welcomed by our immigration and ready to show us so much.
The Emotive word refugee, is being miss used,being used to show love,concern, fear for people.
But blindly and wrongly,ignoring the real refugee not breaking our door down, not kicking it in, lets double our in take, but from those who wait.

The purpose of my initial post was to show that certain emotions/behavours that are often cited as evidence of genuineness can easily be manufactured to impress the more naïve.

A big thankyou to King Hazza and Belly for their inputs,
and a prolong raspberry to Poirot for hers

@Poirot
Right you are : border personnel report that checks of POOR asylum seekers have found no cigarettes and no tobacco.
Plenty of mobile phones , on the latest premium plans.
Plenty of blackberrys.
And, a few Molotov cocktail making kits & iron bars.
But absolutely, definitely, NO tobacco products.

A thousand pardons - SPQR, I couldn't resist.

Now I have to wipe the evidence of your "prolonged" raspberry off my computer screen....just as well it gave me a good laugh : )