Protect Our Borders

[Migration Help]

BLOG FROM: The Border Watch (http://theborderwatch.blogspot.com/2009/10/protect-our-borders.html)

Australia has never quite come to grips with how to manage the problem of illegal immigrants.

The previous Coalition Government was accused of insensitivity for detaining families behind razor wire and implementing the "Pacific solution".

The current Labor Government has sought its own international solution by seeking cooperation from Indonesia.

Yesterday that policy threatened to unravel as Indonesian provincial officials effectively washed their hands of the issue.

And who can blame them?

The Sri Lankan "refugees" in this case want to come to Australia.

And who can blame them?

Many Sri Lankans speak English and play cricket. The lifestyle in Australia is better than it is in Asian countries and we're a soft touch when it comes to admitting illegal immigrants without paperwork.

Of course there are genuine refugees who are forced to flee their countries of origin to protect themselves or their families.

Australia welcomed many such people before and after the Second World War.

However, a sovereign state has a responsibility to its own citizens.

Australia should not have an open-door policy when it comes to illegal arrivals. That's unfair to citizens and legal migrants.

A global solution may be possible through the United Nations.

Meanwhile, it's appropriate the Royal Australian Navy should protect our borders.

Illegal arrivals should be detained and quickly processed.

Those without documentation to support an application for residency on genuine huminitarian grounds should be returned to their home countries.

It's how the United States protects its border with Mexico, South Africa with Zimbabwe and so on.


Do you agree with this blogger?

[digger]

The heading
"Australia has never quite come to grips with how to manage the problem of illegal immigrants."
Is somewhat sensationalistic.
For policies are in place, ie.
. Various actions including financial support to Indonesia to attempt stemming the flow.
. Process people offshore where possible so as Australian lawyers onshore cannot have a picnic [ one of the very reasons there were long detaining periods].
. The previous coalition Howard government used what has been labelled the Pacific solution for that very reason as an interim step to establishing the Christmas Island facility.
PM Krudd would be deep in krudds without Christmas Island having been established just as he would have been deeper without the Howard Surplus to start with.
. You cannot single out Sri Lankans.
. And you cannot compare what happens in Australia with the US/Mexican land border.
Mexicans caught are sent back very quickly.
. Australia does not have an open door policy though Labours policy has softened and likely for the current flotilla on the seas before the onset of poor weather season imminent.
There is somewhere around 30M +/- refugees on the planet, the UNHCR doing what they can, the WTO believing level playing fields is an approach to ending world poverty and Australia does have a refugee immigration stream.

It would seem the blogger needs to do a bit more research.