I am not against Asylum seekers wanting a new life free from violence and persecution and I welcome them to our wonderful country. But what really irks me is the illegal way it is done. There are hundreds of genuine Asylum seekers who have applied through the correct forum to receive asylum and unfortunate for them for every boat load that turns up these legitimate or properly applied seekers are made to wait even longer while our government deals with the illegal boats arriving. some could be waiting years for their application to be approved as the government has to deal with the boat people. I feel for them.
The boats have to stop to make the system fair and viable for ALL asylum seekers.
I think you are confusing a few issues here.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, arriving by boat and claiming asylum is not illegal in an International sense. There are no laws that spell out how one can arrive as a refugee. If you arrive as a passenger on a plane and claim asylum against persecution is that illegal?
The second separate issue is the humanitarian crisis where people with nowhere to go pay for what they are told is a pleasure cruise to Australia by the people smugglers. The refugees are lied to. As far as they are concerned anything is better than being arrested by police, having all their possessions taken and getting locked up in an Indonesian camp or dumped back on the streets.
For many families they have spent ten or more years in limbo as non-citizens waiting to be accepted by our Government. Our 'quota' in Australia for refugees is laughably small compared to the millions that are looking for a country that will accept them.
There is no simple answer and to make it seem as simple as you have done is dishonest.