NickyC

Interestingly, I heard from a completely unofficial source recently that quite a few of the 'athletes' who flew into Sydney for the Masters Games held last week will be seeking to stay permanently.

I wonder if the same stringent checks (that apply say for normal visitor visa applicants from high risk countries) also apply to 'athletes' from the same country to get a visa to compete in a supposed sporting event.

canadaeh

That happened with the Commonwealth Games in 2006 also.

ABCDiamond

You had better read carefully then....

Now be precise in the questions that you have, that the above does not explain as my views to the question ?

But specifically, please tell me why you think that the Humanitarian Visas for the boat people do not come out of the total annual allocation of Humanitarian Visas ? And re-read the above to understand the answer to your question But to clarify...
In May 2008 they allocated 13,500 Total Humanitarian Program Allocation places for 2008/09.
They isssued 13,507 visas. How many went to Boat people 7 ?

Australia sets limits BEFORE the beginning of the year.
Those limits are near enough stuck to. Whether by authorised entry via one of the humanitarian programs or other sources.
From those figures, it stands to reason that if they were all boat people, then no more allocation would be available. That is my reasoning, as I explained before. But please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, as I always prefer to see actual info, and if you read 'precisely' what I said, I even said that I doubted that system originally.

I also said in exact words "the annual totals appear to say it all", that allows room for someone to provide alternative points preferably with reasoning rather than your words "What do you think they are saying? <..> Be precise."

And finally I never mentioned the Indosesian Navy

ABCDiamond

OK, is this precise enough
I deem "unlawful" to mean similar to illegal, what is your definition of unlawful ?

kporte

Irish boat people have just landed in Vietnam.........

moneypenny20

No neither do I The character I believe but for all I know the actor could have been and so they wrote it into the script

bjbrian

Here here. well said.

balkanghost

My two bob's worth.

No difference, both sort of illegal, those arriving by air who applied for and received a legal visa on condition of compliance, but with actual intention of not complying with conditions after arrival... well....join the dots on that one legally...

Boat people often do not have any access to a legal visa, let alone physical access to an Australian Embassy, in less democratic regimes.

Like many I am a bit exasperated with the fervour this issue induces in many people in Australia?

Issue is in the news because it suits the media and both political parties (from time to time for scare purposes), but meanwhile on the ground still lack of action and good data on regional development, streamlining state govts., population policy, addressing skills shortages, sustainability (e.g. encouraging smaller houses, less cars) and how to deal with ageing population and decreasing tax base?

As the producer in Australia's funniest satirical comedy "Frontline", based round a shonky current affairs program said: "A pub brawl in Manly is more important than a civil war, if you have pictures". Accordingly boat people provide great imagery, versus hands of a civil servant leafing through visa arrival data printouts.....

(Frontline appeared in the 90's and was described by The Guardian as "(If you forget where this series comes from), it is sheer brilliance" and from Ben Elton "The precursor of The Office"

More seriously, what I would call in Australia a jingostic nationalism has taken on board some earlier traits of Central European nationalism of the 1800s:
Whatever happened to the comfortable, dry, laconic, anti authoritarian and tolerant Australians (able to laugh at themselves)?

Like the film "The Castle" (also from producers of Frontline) mid 90s, which was a huge success internationally, as it showed good Oz values of the little man with values and ethics standing up to power and authority.....but different now....

Dorothy

Why do they need access to an Australian Embassy? They have access to enough funds to pay smugglers to take them on boats to another country, why could they not use those funds to make a legal application for refugee status for their families? They have access to airports to take them to another country, why could they not use that plane to take them (and their families) to a safer part of their country?

WillBlack

If Australia can not keep a few boat loads of unarmed queue jumpers out of Australia, what message would that send to the teaming billions of Yellow Peril slavering and pulling at their fetters, waiting to invade en masse, cut our throats and blow us to smith-ereens?

Devlin

This article says MANY more non genuine refugees arrive by plane than boat.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...02-421,00.html

Boat people are "better" in that they are more likely to be genuine. Case closed.

ABCDiamond

But they all had Visas to arrive.

How many of those 4,768 were accepted ? Only about half.

ACE

I also thought that this was the case until I watched a 'Hot Doc' on SBS the other night. To cut a long story short this documentary was really about the kids and how they cope when they start school in Australia. The children told their stories and I was shocked to hear what the families had gone through but also the amount of time it took for the men (who were generally accepted first) to bring their families over. In many cases they were separated from their dads' for up to 7 years. there is no easy answer to this problem and when you see the human face of the situation not just the news reports it becomes very difficult to say send them back to where they came from. It wasn't all doom and gloom, these kids were saved and they and their families were so grateful to be here. There was one story that really stood out, there was a young boy who arrived from Africa, his father had been a Dr back home and they had had to flee horrific persecution. He could not speak 1 word of English but he was very grateful to the Australian authorities for giving him a chance. He worked really hard at school and 18 months after arriving he took the entrance test for Guildford Grammar School and he passed. He is the first African to attend this very prestigious school and will no doubt grow to be a very productive member of Australian society.

I wanted to share this because it is nice to hear a positive outcome to what is without a doubt a terrible situation.

I always say there but for the grace of God go I. We don't choose where we are born or what race we are and if any of us were in 'their' situation who is to say we wouldn't do exactly the same to save our children. I have a cosy, comfy western existence , however, if my children were in danger and I felt I had no other option I wouldn't think twice about breaking the law to save them.

PamE

I totally agree. Great post.

Pomster

[QUOTE=ACE;8042648]I also thought that this was the case until I watched a 'Hot Doc' on SBS the other night.
, these kids were saved and they and their families were so grateful to be here.

I wanted to share this because it is nice to hear a positive outcome to what is without a doubt a terrible situation.
QUOTE]

I was watching and SBS doco a couple of weeks ago about policing in certain areas.
It focussed on the Community Liasion officer with responsibility for Somalian refuges in Flemington Vic.
Many of the kids were really aggressive because there were not enough places provided for them to go in the evening. The Somalian youth club only had funding til 10pm and the video games van (provided by police I think) only was available twice per week.
I was astonished at the aggression shown to the poor policeman...where I live (only a few kms from Flemington and in an area with an assortment of migrants/refugees- no one group) nothing is provided.
Definitely no sign of " whew what a relief we are somewhere safe"....