Scott Morrison's refugee war games have attracted the attention of the overseas media (finally). It was only a matter of time before such looney tune "operational matters" such as this was going to get a big "WTF?" from overseas. Has taken a while though. Although Abbott in this latest round of refugee cruelty has taken things to a whole new level, this political demonisation of asylum seekers has been going on here for years, by both major parties. Both trying to outdo each other on asylum toughness to placate western Sydney racists, their electoral seats being vital in any election campaign.
This from the New York Times. Also a video from the BBC below:
Australia is pursuing draconian measures to deter people without visas from entering the country by boat. In doing so, it is failing in its obligation under international accords to protect refugees fleeing persecution.
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, said recently that “something strange happens” in the minds of Australians when it comes to asylum seekers who arrive by boat without a visa.
Horrible instances of hundreds of people dying in unseaworthy boats may play a role in this thinking. So may xenophobia. Curiously, though, the hostility to people who try to arrive by boat does not seem to extend to asylum seekers in general. Australia is fairly generous about offering protection to refugees, as long as they apply for protection from overseas, obtain a visa, then enter Australia.
In 2012, there were 29,610 such applications and 8,367 were recognized as refugees. Between 2001 and 2008, when Australia imposed mandatory detention of visa-less asylum seekers at offshore processing centers, 70 percent of the 1,637 asylum seekers were recognized as refugees. But there is something about the boat people that has provided politicians with an exploitable issue that does Australia’s otherwise commendable record on refugees no good. more
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