Recently in the Australian Media, Amnesty International claimed that Murderers in our Jails were being treated better than Illegal Refugees in our Detention Centres.
Does this mean we should treat Murderers worse?
PerfectDark
No, it means you should treat refugees better. Obvious, right?
Alternatively, we could just have an instant deportation law that prevents illegal immigrants from ever becoming citizens. Then there would be no detainees.
It’s a bit rich that our uninvited guests barge in here, demanding to be allowed to stay, complaining that they don’t have cable TV and internet access in their detention centres, rioting and hurting the people who are there to look after them, and going on hunger strikes because conditions aren’t up to their expectations. There are stories about refugees getting off the boats and handing lists of medical treatments they want to their captors because they know the Australian government will pay for it while they’re here.
We seriously need to do something about this situation. Imprisoning them while we decide their fate is not the answer, and for their own safety and ours we should make queue jumping by potentional illegal immigrants unattractive. The methods of transport they use are dangerous, and they risk their lives at the hands of people smugglers who aren’t in it for the good of mankind. They bypass our strict quarentine and could potentially introduce diseases to Australia. We need to increase our intake of migrants from countries that our illegals come from, and reduce waiting periods on applications while imposing zero-tolerance deportation on those who come here illegally, and make it clear that Australia doesn’t welcome those who come via the back door. One wonders how many people have died because they think Australia will welcome them with open arms if they come by their own steam.
Cazzle mate, I honestly don’t think these people come here with a bad attitude. I don’t know much at all about the details of their situation, butI have lived long enough to be very suspicious of the quick easy answers of journalists and politicians.
I am certain the stories about “lists of medical treatments” and “cable TV demands” are just that - stories. Surely, we who haunt the Straight Dope pages should know best about the power of urban myths and the need to take a Snopesian, Cecilian attitude to such stories.
Or to be aware of the possibility of explanations for the origins of such stories : someone trying to make authorities aware of the health conditions of their families and themselves, or suggesting a way for authorities to make a desolate and unrewarding environment one where learning or amusement can be found.
And I’m afraid that too many of the places where these people are made to live are not staffed by people who see their role as “looking after” their charges, but rather by those who are suspicious, culturally insensitive and determined to control them, rather than help them adjust.
Aren’t these scenarios as much a possibility?
Redboss
I do enjoy all-australian threads!
Oh, and welcome PerfectDark - where are you in Oz? Will you come and have a drink at the soon-to-be-announced Oz Dopefest?
mattk…
I was only highlighting the good treatment refugees get by using satire.
I’m in Queensland… and I haven’t heard of the Oz Dopefest but I will probably be too busy when ever it’s on.
I think we should adopt the Shoot first, shoot later, shoot some more and then ask questions. No seriously if our navy would fire a few shots to the water near those vessals they would turn around straight away and tell the rest of their buddies to find a new country to export their people.
(If they persist then you tow them out to international waters… if they keep coming back their sure to run out of food and water and then… well you can stop worrying about them.)
PerfectDark
Ah, a real humanitarian…what is is they say about Queensland, one hour and twenty years behind?
(Oh, okay, I’m only joking. But you’d rather kill people than let them into Australia? Wow)
We wouldn’t actually kill them. Dehydration would. They are the silly people that came to Australia. And besides we could post warnings in their home countries…
WARNING!!
If you try to enter Australia illegally the Royal Australian Navy will escort you back to International waters and watch you die of dehyration.
Have a nice day. 
PerfectDark
Now that is ridiculous. You’re going to just waltz in to every country in south-east Asia and Australasia, regardless of whether they want you to, and plant signs in every single language around their entire coastline (ignoring the possibility of people being illiterate)?
But what worries me more is that you’re happy to let human beings die. I fail to see how killing someone through neglect is any better than killing them directly. Sheesh. I think I’ll quit this thread now before it becomes Pit material.
They always seem to be to ‘real’ for anyone that reads them… Maybe I should just stick with…
Rednecks last words - “Hey! Watch this…”
PerfectDark
Fair enough…I’ll say no more!
I think we should cede Ashmore Reef to the Indonesians.
uh…yeah, Perfect old mate, I think you will be probably be too busy on whatever day it is…
Queensland huh?
yeah…
see ya!
moves very slowly and carefully to the exit…
Dear god Redboss! You’re not gonna leave us alone with this creature?
I friend of mine’s husband who is a prison officer in Brisbane was seconded to the Port Hedland detention centre last year.
While I appreciate the logic behind detaining illegal immigrants while their applications are determined, I question whether using prison officers to staff detention centres if entirely appropriate.
I seriously think that we need to do something to negate the image people have of us as a land of milk and honey where residency is almost guaranteed. We may know that isn’t the reality, but I’m not sure that many of those embarking on treacherous voyages do.