With asylum-seekers arriving every day in leaky boats, our processing centres are full to overflowing. Kevin Rudd devised a plan on how to stop the people smuggling - unsuccessful asylum-seekers would be sent home. Now we learn that 90 per cent of failed Afghan refugees have had their decisions overturned on appeal.
If their application is unsuccessful, refugees can appeal against that decision. It was set up by Kevin Rudd to ensure decision making integrity and has only recently been handing down decisions. When the announcement was made, we were pleased, and felt better, at least the pretenders and criminals would be weeded out and sent back.
Afghans make up the largest single category of asylum-seekers with more than 3800 arriving since late 2008. One lawyer who asked not to be named said that so far, all of the clients had been successful on appeal. "We haven't had any negative decisions". Other refugee lawyers tell a similar story. Yesterday a spokesman for the department refused to confirm the high overturn rate, nor would they say what the overturn rate is, or even how many cases were currently before reviewers.
And Julia Gillard said today she would not change the review process and refuses to give a commitment to overhaul it. She quickly brought the subject back to how she's working on a plan for asylum-seekers to be processed in East Timor. The trouble is, East Timor thinks it's a bad idea and don't want a bar of it.
With the practice of asylum-seekers destroying their papers, who knows who they are - they could easily be terrorists or criminals. Are we being paranoid? Probably. Should we be worried? Definitely. The issue of asylum-seekers arriving every day in leaky boats, pushing in ahead of other refugees who have been waiting patiently in refugee centres for years is wrong - why should they be allowed to push in simply because they had the money to pay the people smugglers, it's simply not fair!
Asylum-seekers cause Australians more angst than any other subject I can think of and the Rudd/Gillard government has shown that they are unwilling and incapable of dealing with this important issue. Tough measures are needed and in two days time, I'll be voting for the Opposition. The Liberal Party stopped the boats when John Howard was Prime Minister and I feel confident they will be able to do it again.
Australia - the land of plenty - unemployment benefits, free medical, organised housing, baby bonuses - what more can you say, wouldn't you like to come here too?
No comments:
Post a Comment