Its funny, I am in Australia at the moment as an immigrant, it was really easy for me to enter the country thanks in part to the partnership between New Zealand and Australia under “Closer Economic Relations“.
But there is a huge uproar around so called ‘boat people’ trying to enter the country to take advantage of opportunities that they would not otherwise receive in their own country. These people have been labeled as “Asylum Seekers”.
The first question I have is:
Does the Australian Media use the term ‘asylum seeker’ as a way to sensationalise and create a villain out of those who wish to seek Refugee status in Australia?
I thought they were plain old ‘Refugees’?
The most recent spark to the controversy occurred last week where an ‘asylum seeker’ boat, under control of the Australian Navy, caught fire and two ‘asylum seekers’ died. The cause of the fire has been touted as sabotage, but it is still under investigation.
Many commentators are complaining that the Rudd government is not doing enough to deter these people risking it all to try and get into Australia. They are calling for tighter controls, more money spent on border security and they are saying that the Government is not doing enough to deter asylum seekers.
My second question is:
Do the commentators realise how desperate these people are to escape oppression?
The point that many of the commentators are missing is that the only way to discourage asylum seekers from trying to enter Australia is to make Australia itself unpalatable for asylum seekers.
This is impossible to do. To compare Australia to the places in which these people have escaped is impossible. Australia and any other first world countries are seen as Heaven on earth to these asylum seekers.
Asylum seekers do not care if they get picked up, they have no idea what laws are in place to stop them arriving, they are aiming to try and get into a situation where they have a chance to get out of the suffering in their own country.
So to all the detractors of the Rudd government’s changes to the border protection policies, you need to examine why these people are coming to Australia.
You will not be able to stop the flow of asylum seekers trying to enter your country, why?
Because of the paradise you have created.
