Jimmy_041 wrote:I do care. That's why it's best to stop them by telling them asylum is not automatically given despite what they've been told and that's exactly what the Govt is doing. Addressing the problem at the root cause
I keep asking why Australia when Europe is a third of the distance away? Lucky strike by a dart on a map? And its no holiday trying to get through Malaysia and Indonesia
And you can apply for asylum in any Australian embassy including Rome
Firstly, Merry Christmas, Jimmy. Although asylum is not automatically given. nor has ever been, the vast majority of those who have come by boat to our shores have been proven to be genuine refugees (in excess of 90%). Asylum seekers are, in the vast majority, people who have a genuine fear for their safety.
As for seeking asylum from an embassy, the asylum seeker would be required to have official paperwork such as a passport. As they are fleeing persecution, it is very unlikely they would have the required paperwork. They are not in a position to apply for one as the fact they are fleeing their country is likely to result in them being killed. A government that is against people seeking asylum is hardly likely to let them leave, is it?
As for seeking to come to Australia, very few do. Australia is the destination for less than 1% of asylum seekers. Even of those, very few would select Australia if they had a choice. Here I quote from an article in The Conversation:
'National pride might be chastened to realise how few of those who find themselves approaching Christmas Island actually set out with a specific vision of Australia as their promised land.
Among developed countries, Australia is one of the least favoured destinations for asylum seekers, its one advantage being that it offers a physically warm climate. Asylum seekers who have any choice as to their ultimate destination prefer the United States, Canada or Europe before Australia.'
As for the ability to travel to Europe, even though it may only be 1/3rd the distance from Afghanistan and Iraq, this would involve long portions of the journey by land, through countries not party to the UN Convention on Refugees, leading to greater risk of succumbing on the journey.
Let me also quote from the United Nations re asylum seekers travelling just to come to Australia:
'As for asylum seekers ‘choosing’ Australia, it is important to remember that, in the first instance, asylum seekers are running from and not to. No
one chooses to be an asylum seeker. Contrary to popular opinion, asylum seekers don’t want to come to Australia, or go anywhere else for that matter.
According to UNHCR, “the great majority of today’s refugees would themselves prefer to return home once the situation stabilises.”
Source: United Nations Development Program (UNDP), ‘Human Development Reports (2011),’ http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/
What does turning back the boats actually achieve? Here let me quote from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au):
'While both major political parties claim that the need to ‘stop the boats’ is driven by a concern for asylum seeker deaths at sea, this is clearly not their prime concern. If it were, Australia would be focussing its attention on ensuring asylum seekers arrive here safely, not that they cease to arrive here at all. In any case, as Professor James Hathaway argues, allegedly humanitarian steps taken to shut down escape routes for asylum seekers are not only unlawful but paternalistic. In the absence of a viable alternative, Hathaway points out that, “It is the refugee’s right – not the prerogative of any state or humanitarian agency – to decide when the risks of staying put are greater than the risks of setting sail.”
In any case, as Professor William Maley has noted, successfully deterring boat arrivals is nothing to celebrate as it will not put an end to the loss of life at sea, it will only force asylum seekers to take perilous voyages elsewhere: “What is more likely to happen is that Afghan refugees, instead of heading eastward towards Australia, will head westward, only to risk drowning in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Only the most cynical politician could take pleasure in such an outcome.”Also, is it right that developing nations should be responsible for looking after the vast majority of asylum seekers and refugees as currently happens? Australia needs to play its role in showing compassion to those in need. This is even moreso when you consider that our troops fought in those countries, leading to the large numbers seeking asylum.
So what can be done? The first and greatest step should involve more cooperation with Malaysia and Indonesia. There should be moves made to process asylum seekers in Malaysia. If they are granted refugee status, then a certain proportion of them should be granted entry into Australia. This would result in less deaths, not just in Australian waters, but also the Mediterranean which is their alternate route at the moment.
This Christmas, let us pray for all those who are vulnerable and in need of our help.
Cheers