Josephus,
As you brought this up, its open for discussion on a public forum.
I don't know the circumstance surrounding your friend being "caught twice in possession of drugs" "reformed from selling drugs" In fact he was a drug dealer! That's makes it a bit more serious, was he convicted, did he do time? I am actually in favor of deportation of any non citizen who willfully commits a criminal offense. I have a near zero tolerance for drug dealers and its nonce to refer to an "earlier life", two times, two earlier lives, what kind of drugs, were his victims children, did any of his customers OD on his supplied drugs? was he drug addicted himself? What family, did he have a partner and children, or are family mum, dad etc?
How often we take a different attitude when its "one of our own".
Having said that I still hold a degree of flexibility as to how your friend should have been dealt with.

Yes Paul, I agree as any non citizen committed of a criminal offense should be deported. Just imagine the number of crimes that would not have been committed, given the vast majority are non Australians.

579, you just can't accept that any solution is in response to your beloved Rudds incompetence.

That one million dollars every five minutes you speak of wasn't needed prior to 2007, was it!

Every argument you come up with is in opposition to a problem your lot caused, then left for someone else to worry about.

Rudd should never be forgiven for his incompetence. In fact, he should forego his tax payer funded pension in an act of moral decency, because the mess he caused does not both him as he is a very wealthy man.

Paul,
While I agree with you about the deportation of non-citizen criminals, I think Josephus was illustrating that race or country is not a factor in applying our laws regarding deportation or illegal entry.

In one case of overstayers of a UK couple that were here for some 26 years. They ran a pet shop business in South Sydney and were highly regarded in the community. when found they were deported.

In another case, that disgusted me, a convicted drug dealer of undisclosed nationality was allowed to stay here because he claimed to father a child while here. The court ruled it would be unfair to deprive the child of the father. My opinion is that the child would be better off without the influence of such a father.

If a boat load of Brits were illegal entrants, I expect the law would equally apply and they would be detained. Persons of many nationalities and ethnicities have been refused entry if they did not have a valid visa. Detained and put on the next flight to point of embarkation.

The year is 2014 if you dwell in the past you will not ever move on.
As of today we are moving toward a solution that was denied years ago. By the very people you are defending. It was in their political interest not to go in favor of a solution. So rudd is not even in the equation.
It was Tony's big mouth that had the situation solved, now they are looking for more space, why, we are not allowed to know.

I agree with part of Paul's comment.
I think it is pointless to open another overseas detention centre.
I would announce that all new arrivals and those already in detention
will be sent back to their port of departure or to their admitted home country.
Do not give any of them the option of continuing in detention.

Indonesia would not like this but it is their responsibility.
I would make sure to send the crew back with them.

This cannot go on forever so no matter what the reaction that is what
will have to be done.

To all the uni students, psych majors, political science, law, ethics and other bleeding hearts, do gooders that write here on OLO please do yourselves and everyone including those you purport to defend i.e. the refugees/detainees a huge favour and consider real facts, not opinions of the masses. Yes I was one of you a few years ago - and guess what guys n gals it all comes down to this and simply this - that the government through or via whichever talking head, is not telling us the truth about any of the refugee/war/famine/ethno-geo-political situation.

So we are getting skewiffed information on which to base our premise and arguments is all I am saying.

In 2004, as a student of law, I wrote to the British government. Seeing as I am an Australian of Anglo/Aboriginal descendants, asking whether they (the Blair Government) would apologise and say sorry to the Scots, & Irish peoples who were displaced by the Potato Famine and the Evictions from the Crofts and Low Lands circa 1840 - 1860. Seems the British government isn't interested in "apologies" either.

The media (unless you research via direct source) & not via 'news' agencies mainly McMurdoch/Fairfax and Rupert's subsidiaries overseas...and even good old Al Jazeera has become somewhat tainted now, where once they could be relied upon.

It all went pear shaped after the Madrid and London Bombings, the lords and masters saw it fit to break all the good clean and pure news links http from internet that once were. The only way to get untainted news is to write (snail mail) direct from source...but beware the Goons infecting the International Mail Centres around Oz. Clyde in Sydney particularly, which is the major incoming international centre, having dedicated officers to intercept anything of interest especially if you post regularly.

Don't fool yourselves, a pseudonym won't keep you safe on-line. The levels of sophistication by which you can (and will) be tracked are mind boggling. Their Modus Operandi is to create a fear of being caught.

Welcome to the renewed age of Fascism - OZ/UK/US style!