Zambia

Pommie and Irish overstayers will always end up getting processed and returned, essentially they have not got the stomach for a life as a non person. Eventually when they want to settle down they have to return. So yes they are better than boat people as they are easier to process.

It just gets my back up when you hear stories of these guys on boats seeming to demand to be taken to Australia. They even refused to co-operate with the Indonsian Navy.

Asylum these days just seems to be selective, there appears to be a demand to get to their personnal choice of countries not just to get out of the ones they are in. The huge waiting pool of migrants in the jungle camp in France lays testament to that. Is France not a safe country? Never mind the fact that even if things improve in the country of orgin few return.

I mean we accept Afghan refugees however currently diggers are dying in Afghanistan to improve the lot of the people there. We should just return them to a safer part of Afganistan. Its a bit suss when people travel 1000's of miles to escape someone that is most likely local. For example if I am targeted by someone in London I could move to Edinburgh and as long as I did not tell anyone how would they find me? The London threat doe not justify my right to Asylum in another country.

I think the Rudd goverment brought this on themselves by dismantling the checks and balances in place by the Howard goverment. The removal of temperory visa's was one.
I also think the move of getting Indonesia to act as a Barrier is good one. If we dont have the balls to re-route the boats lets hire someone who does.

The original question asked is yes Plane people are better becuase at least we estabilished who they are and have checked them for weapons prior to entering, its a no brainer.

Amazulu

It wasn't my statement - I was replying to it - but my viewpoint is similar to what others have posted on this thread about the difference between overstaying backpackers and boat people, and I can't be arsed to elaborate any further.

lapin_windstar

What do you think they are saying? I don't get where it says that the number of resettlement visa is offset against the number boat arriving refugees settled.

First, you said it was illegal; then you said it was incorrect; now you're saying you wonder if it's incorrect. In what sense is it incorrect? Be precise.

No-one demands to get taken anywhere - they pay through the nose (and often get fleeced along the way). Why should anyone co-operate with the Indonesian Navy?

moneypenny20

There was an Irish lad on Neighbours a few years back who'd overstayed his visa. He got sent back.

Devlin

So why not add more value to this forum rather than just replying "Yes". What is your reasoning that plane people over-staying is more acceptable than people arriving on boats?

My guess is your views on race are the reason you elaborate no further.

WillBlack

My guess is that, since you jump to that conclusion, you show that you are a closet racist.

willmore

Earlier this week a boat called ocean lady was caught trying to enter canadian waters illegally into victoria, bc. It had 75 men on board from sri lanka asking for refugee asylum - unable to go back to their own country due to persecution.

They are now in the process of going through the process to determine if some or all are able to stay in canada.

Since its my tax dollars (canada spends millions of dollars) each year of people arriving seeking asylum so the more info taxpayers can get from the paper the better it is.

Hopefully they will be treated with a little more respect and dignity then the chinese that arrived 10 years ago. A dark day in canadian history....

I understand you also had a boat from sri lanka and it was turned away?

Dorothy

My guess is that if personal insults aren't kept out of this discussion it will be closed.

Zambia

From the Wiki article On The Tampa Affair

After Rinnan had set sail toward Indonesia, a delegation of asylum seekers visited the bridge to demand passage to Australian territory, specifically Christmas Island. The group was quite aggressive and agitated and Rinnan agreed to alter course for Christmas Island.

If you sail in Indonesian waters you are obiliged to Co-operate with the Indonesian Navy. Just like any other waters in the world.

Zambia

So he should was the actor or character sent back, I dont watch Neighbours...

spartacus

. . . boat people would be better at rowing . . . and bailing-out . . . and that sort of thing

BadgeIsBack

Plane people would be good at reclining their seat and that's about it.

I'm quite sure that an overstaying backpacker is far easier to deal with and is therefore 'better'. A deportation - many will leave of their own free with their ears burning - and a ban on a tourist visa for 3 years. Bit of data entry for the case officer. It may not even prevent them from migrating as that is an application for a permanent visa. (Depending on whether they can meet the character test).

A boat person endangers the lives of people rescuing them.

That's very presumptious!

Zambia

Blowing the boat up ...lets not forget blowing the boat up

spartacus

That would make them 'dinghy people' . . . surely . . .

Boat people would also be good at navigating by the stars . . . at catching fresh fish using only a coathanger and a pair of old pantyhose . . .

PamE

Amnesty International reports that boat people make up less than 4% of people who go to Australia seeking asylum, and their figures show that the vast majority of boat people really are looking for safety, they're not risking their lives for an economic reason. More than 96% arrive by plane, they just get less media coverage and attention. Seems to be the case that people fall for the sensationalist media stories & get sucked in by political game-playing regarding boat people, as your interesting link suggests.

If anyone's interested in contacting Kevin Rudd on this issue (and also specifically with regard to recent requests made of the Indonesian government):

http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/act...ef_Oct09_link2