On 25/09/11 13:25, Mike Mitchell wrote:
I really believe that almost all Australians support the humane treatment of refugees _BUT_ how on earth do we know that the people who arrive here under their own steam _ARE_ refugees?! Also, refuge is a privilege not a right. We need to think in terms of ourselves seeking refuge outside Australia to understand that.
Australia gets only a tiny proportion of our immigration (or even our refugees) from boats and the vast majority of people who arrive here "under their own steam", in this way, are determined by our Department of Immigration to be legitimate refugees (90% or so). There is no queue. I understand the moral objection to people smugglers but they're attempting to offer a service that desperate people are begging to have. Shunting people who have attempted to get here by whatever means possible, into off shore processing (and indefinite detention) is not humane under any interpretation of that word. It also doesn't break the people smuggler's model, because - unless they know how bad the conditions are in detention - people will still pay for an attempt to get to Australia. Not merely because they want to be selective, but because they want to be recognised as refugees, and given legal citizenship and protection, and neither Malaysia or Indonesia (which is where our boat people originate) are signatories to the UN Refugee Convention. I am sure that Australia's multiculturalism also helps them feel confident they can find a home and acceptance here. I realise that, given a calm and safe situation, when asked what country a refugee might prefer to end up in, many might say Australia. But people who argue that the refugees are coming specifically to Australia to impose on our good way of life, etc, are ignoring the fact that - in most cases - the refugees would probably take any option that granted them legal refugee status, citizenship and protection. Freedom from persecution is a right, so, correspondingly, refuge is a right. Australia has recognised the rights of refugees and their right to seek refuge. Yet, being relatively isolated from the rest of the world, Australia takes in only a teeny tiny percentage of refugees compared to other countries with similar socio-economic statuses (but which are less isolated). The bulk of our "illegal immigration" comes from people who fly here (with visas and passports!) and then overstay their visas. The Australian government is having a hard time running the Christmas Island detention center well. Refugees, are - strangely enough - often quite traumatised with a wide range of mental illnesses. We shouldn't treat them as prisoners, as they haven't committed a crime (attempting to reach Australia by boat without a visa to claim refugee status is not a crime). Yet, we want them detained. There is not sufficient training for the guards in how to handle people with mental illnesses, and not enough psychs to help them. The biggest problem is despair because those who are being detained do not know how long they're being detained for, and what the end result will be (at least prisoners get told that up front). This isn't humane. Even if they were living in a 5 star resort (which they're not) with pools, activities, etc etc, being stuck there, and not knowing for how long, another year? another 10 years? and whether or not at the end of it they'll be sent back to their originating country.... that would make the resort pall pretty quickly. I say pick one of two measures. Provide a definite, guaranteed, cannot be gotten around, hard limit on offshore detention. Something sensible, for example no longer than 6 months. Then either bring them onshore for whatever processing is left, or send them home. If they're detained onshore, have the Department of Immigration have to have approval for further detention than 6 months; then move them into the community. None of this detention for years and years with no idea of what's going on. None of this losing people and forgetting about them. J