On 25/09/2011 9:56 PM, Jacinta Richardson wrote:
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).
I think I covered the first part by saying we need to look at refugees from the other direction. If it were you and I looking, we have no right to refuge in any other country if Australia was a failed nation.
The bulk of our "illegal immigration" comes from people who fly here (with visas and passports!) and then overstay their visas.
If we treated "boat people" the same way we tread those who arrive here by plane they would be put on the next available transport back to where they came from. Fortunately because they have passports we know who they are and because they have visas we know they stand a reasonable chance of being of good character. When they arrive by boat without papers none of that is known and we are not sure where they really come from. These new "boat people" should not be confused with those from Vietnam who had almost nowhere else to go. Why don't the current "boat people" stop about 30 countries earlier and try to get access to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or even Turkey. These are great places with a terrific economies, reasonable freedoms, safe, good quality of life and great Muslim cultures in place? Why do they spend $25K each with a people smuggler rather than $1K each on a plane ticket? Why don't they stop at an Australian Embassy on the way and ask for refuge?
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.
Detention is not gaol. It's no where near as restricted.
There is not sufficient training for the guards in how to handle people with mental illnesses,
The guards don't seem to have nearly enough training period!
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.
I'm not sure. I think it takes longer than six months to determine their nation of origin when they have no papers. At least it's a place to start to consider what the maximum detention time is. I wonder if I can get my old mum into a detention centre in Fiji as I want to be in Nauru for my retirement. Hmm, maybe Vanuatu, the scuba diving is better there and I don't want to be anywhere near my mum. (See my post to Russell's post for the connection ;-). Cheers, Mike