Thanks Foxy, CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS essay made for a very interesting read. Conservative politicians from both major parties along with the entrenched racists from the likes of One Nation successfully exploited the 'Asylum Seeker' issue to their advantage. John Howard and later Tony Abbott, and I'll include Rudd/Gillard, and of course Pauline Hanson in that group, with a helping hand from the conservative mainstream media were able to pander to the basic fears of the general populace. They portrayed asylum seekers arriving as being only the vanguard of a mass of such humanity waiting just over the horizon to descend upon innocent Australia. Their intention being to destroy our "way of life", and god knows what else they intended to do, from rape and pillage, to outright murder, a totally undeserving mob of queue jumpers at best! According to our leadership this critical threat had to be contained at all cost, and that could only be done through punitive action on our part, forget any though of humanitarianism, we were in a crises which required immediate action. That action included turning back the boats, offshore detention and no prospect of resettlement.
Many, if not most in our society supported this draconian action, as totally necessary, and now believe a serious crises has been averted! We can once again rest easy in our beds. As for the asylum seekers with no human face, we can forget them, they were simply an unreasonable problem we successfully dealt with in true Australian fashion. Is it raciest, you be the judge.

Oh Asylum Seekers you all say,
Well they aren't a problem because they don't come here.
Now I honestly feel sorry for the ones stuck in Manus or Naru, I think of them as political prisoners, (who can leave if they choose to) and we should make sure they have reasonable living conditions since they are being used as pawns.

But if we let em in, more will come and more will drown on boats.
Neverending Story.

I don't support letting them into the country.
Firstly you have the issue where they through all their documentation overboard, so we don't know who many of these people are.
Some have faked passports.

Turnbull is hard on asylum seekers so he can let more legal ones in, I've heard him explain it; its basically a sleight of hand trick, to pretend to be hard on the issue.

You want to let undocumented immigrants possibly fighters from warzones enter the country because of your little 'feels good' ideals?

They aren't genuine asylum seekers anyway.
If you travel one or even two countries away you're an asylum seeker.
If you travel the distance of five or six countries then you are an economic migrant, no matter how you started out.

-And if you really were seeking asylum, you'd be grateful for a temporary visa, even though your long term prospects were in doubt.
You're either running away from persecution and a warzone or you're not.

I don't see why Syrians can't go home now, thanks to Russia.
If they fought the government and can't go home is that our fault?
That they decided to take on their own government and are now stateless - is this our fault?
Let Sauda Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the US, France and Britain pay the price of these migrants, they armed and funded the rebels.
Why should we pay for it?

@armchair critic - we have heard you. No need to repeat your views ad nauseam.
Basically your position is that before you will help someone in need you will check their passport. You will also only help them if there is no cost to your own comforts - someone stranded on the road? You will stop and help unless of course they look suspect or if it is not too inconvenient. They are the values you live by. So no need to say any more - we all know that there are people who spent their lives justifying why they should not help people in need. These are the people who label all those on welfare as bludgers but are first in the queue when they need help.

Actually BAGON, it is the stupidity that you & other like Paul produce ad nauseam that is the problem, & the majority of real Australians are totally sick of.

Try giving away only that which is yours to give. Leave our birthright the hell alone.

<<I really don't see that taking in people who are nothing but a burden to Australia is an "opportunity" - it's more like a death wish. There are too many useless, problem-causing people here now, including the products of the ridiculously high 'legitimate' 200,000 per year stampede.>>

Well I suppose, people living here right now, will be forced to abort all children (about to be born) who have a medical condition or disability, Australia will be gassing people to death who are seen as a burden to society, or Australia will be bringing back the death penalty for those who have been seen to have committed serious crime.

Innocent until proven guilty, thrown out the door?

I'm sure there would be some who oppose others who put forward opinions on this page and would see them as having no value and being a burden to Australia - but please consider some basic respect, particularly those who have done nothing wrong towards others.

Dear Paul,

I'm glad that you enjoyed the link I cited earlier.
It disturbed me greatly and made me think.
Hopefully with time things will continue to change
in this country. We have to keep working towards
that goal - especially as far as our children and
grand-children are concerned.