Offshore processing

[mantra]

New laws were passed last night to have refugees who come by boat sent to Nauru and Manus Island for offshore processing. Some will disagree, but others believe it's about time. Family reunions - exclusive only to the boat people will cease. No doubt there will be repercussions with some refugees already threatening to jump overboard and it will get worse as the reality of this new ruling sinks in.

22,000 people have arrived here by boat in the last 3 years. Multiply that by their families who are then invited here - means this number can easily increase to 100,000.

PEOPLE smugglers are defying new laws that will see asylum seekers sent to Nauru and PNG, with at least three boats bound for Australia and another picked up yesterday.

Government officials believe people smugglers have urged asylum seekers to rush on to boats despite them having no hope of avoiding offshore processing.

It comes as the government and opposition teamed up in the Senate to push through amendments to the Migration Act.

Their action comes despite efforts by the Greens to delay its passage and make their own amendments. Full report here

The latest asylum boat carrying 67 people called Australia for help northwest of Christmas Island and the passengers were rescued by HMAS Wollongong and HMAS Maitland yesterday. There were unconfirmed reports a group of asylum seekers had made it to the Cocos Islands last night with up to four boats having left Indonesia this week.

"We expect people smugglers to try and squeeze every last dollar," Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said.

The news came as asylum seekers who threatened to jump overboard if a merchant vessel failed to take them to Christmas Island - in a repeat of the Tampa affair - have been interviewed by federal police.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/r ... line/story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AnimalMother]

The only long-term solution is to rescind the Refugee Convention, and deport all asylum seekers who come to Australia while avoiding the nearest safe country.

[Rorschach]

It is time to get tough.
It is time the country shoppers were weeded out.

[mantra]

I was looking through some old pictures of boat people, particularly the Vietnamese from 40 years ago. The difference in their appearance is startling. Although it isn't PC to say this - today's boat people are well dressed and plump in comparison. Even the boats are a massive improvement and there's rarely overcrowding. The current government is extremely generous and combined with family reunions it's costing billions to feed, clothe and house and then with medical and dental thrown in - who wouldn't want to come here.

What is more concerning are their identities or lack of. How do we know that they don't assume the identities of deceased relatives and friends when their origins are checked? How many Taliban and/or criminals are coming here under another disguise?

Health checks - and this commenced under the Howard era - are often foregone and so we have a raft of diseases introduced or reintroduced into a once healthy country.

Julia Gillard's only choice was to toughen up.



today...

[Rorschach]

We know the system is being rorted, but Labor refuse to admit it and the Greens are in lala land about it.

[Black Orchid]

I was looking through some old pictures of boat people, particularly the Vietnamese from 40 years ago. The difference in their appearance is startling.

More startling is the huge difference in gender dynamics in boat people now. Once they would board boats as families - men, women and children. Now they are largely all male. Boat after boat of all male passengers. Where are their families? They supposedly flee a country in fear of their lives yet leave their wives and children to fend for themselves?

What is more concerning are their identities or lack of. How do we know that they don't assume the identities of deceased relatives and friends when their origins are checked? How many Taliban and/or criminals are coming here under another disguise?

Another reason to be concerned. See above

Health checks - and this commenced under the Howard era - are often foregone and so we have a raft of diseases introduced or reintroduced into a once healthy country

Yet another outbreak of measles in Sydney exposed last night. While some people grapple with the decision to imunise or not to imunise we are being swamped with disease that had primarily been stamped out here decades ago.

[Rorschach]

Labor moves to excise mainland from migration zone
October 30, 2012 - 11:08AM
Dan Harrison
Indigenous Affairs and Social Affairs Correspondent

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is expected to take plans to excise the Australian mainland from the migration zone to Labor caucus today. Hmmm... talk about extreme action...

The Gillard government will move ahead with a plan to excise the entire Australian mainland from the migration zone, effectively stripping rights from asylum seekers who reach the continent by boat.

The change was recommended in August by the government's expert panel on asylum seekers, chaired by former defence chief Angus Houston.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said today the government had adopted all of the panel's recommendations and was working to implement each of them. Except they still fail to recognise the need for TPVs

The proposal was taken to this morning's meeting of the Labor caucus, where the National Times understands it was approved. Legislation could be introduced as early as this week.

It is similar to a Howard government plan which was abandoned six years ago in the face of opposition from Liberal moderates.

Currently, only asylum seekers intercepted at sea or at Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands or Ashmore Reef can be sent for processing on Nauru or Papua New Guinea.

Mr Bowen's office said the changes would not apply to asylum seekers who arrive by air. Ah... an exception.
It is rare for asylum boats to reach the mainland, but in April a boat carrying 10 Chinese nationals arrived in Darwin, and in 2008 a boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers made it to Shark Bay, in Western Australia.

Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison noted the proposal was similar to that put forward by the Howard government, but would not commit the Coalition to supporting the measure.

''When we see the legislation we'll take it through the normal processes,'' he told reporters in Canberra.

''I find it interesting that the Minister has not sought to alert me to this. I don't think that's in the spirit of how we've been dealing with things coming out of the Houston report.''

Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the Greens would oppose the change, describing it as a ''shameful piece of legislation that discriminates against some of the most vulnerable people in our region, based on the way in which they arrive in Australia''.

"The government will say that this is about discouraging people from getting on boats but it is clear that the only way to achieve that is by offering people safer pathways, not by removing people's fundamental right to apply for asylum in Australia,'' Senator Hanson-Young said in a statement.

''Rather than trying to help these vulnerable people, this Labor Government is now going to try to enact legislation that is so discriminatory and un-Australian that John Howard faced an internal revolt when he tried it in 2006.

"It is such a bad piece of legislation that even Barnaby Joyce threatened to cross the floor. It was a bad law then and it is a bad law now.'' Desperate times call for desperate measures. Pity Rudd and his party changed the Howard measures in the first place.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... z2AjjMJkOV" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rorschach]

Mainland not 'Australia' for migrants under new migration zone excision program

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6506422850" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mantra]

Although it may appear callous for those genuine refugees - it is a good move. Let's hope it passes. They will still come here though and need to be housed. Denying them legal appeal against a decision is a good start - although with our generosity in granting resettlement, it probably won't make a difference.

THE Gillard government hopes to legislate this week to strip away the rights of asylum-seekers who arrive at mainland Australia by boat.

The change, which effectively excises the entire Australian coastline from Australia's migration zone for unauthorised boat arrivals, will go before the Labor caucus today.

The measure was recommended by the Angus Houston-led expert panel on asylum-seekers to deter boat people from making the long journey by sea in the hope of winning greater rights than those who arrive at excised offshore territories like Christmas Island.

The government wants to have the changes passed by the parliament this week if all goes to plan.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6506422850

[Rorschach]

honestly.... just post a link... no need for the whole article... just post some excerpts.... that's all we need...

Apparently no one reads just links or excerpts here either.