The Politics of Asylum Seekers

The decrepit asylum seeker debate continues to drag on in Australia and everyone has an opinion on what to should or should not be done with asylum seekers. The 90 to 95 per cent that are found to be genuine refugees fleeing persecution from countries that Australia has had direct involvement in or turned a blind to. I’m talking countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka etc.

We’ve had onshore processing and attempts at the pacific solution, the Nauru solution, the East Timorese solution and the Malaysian solution. So the question has to be asked how long before we have the final solution? Hmm provocative yes, but bureaucrats from the Department of Immigration have briefed the leader of the opposition and the prime minister, two politicians who lack of leadership and political expediency has lead politics and national discourse to a new low, that asylum seekers are basically do anything people who will tear at the social fabric of Australian society.

Click to read more ...

Asylum Seeker Debate Threatens to Scuttle Gillard Government

The divisive asylum seeker debate that swings like a wrecking ball through Australian politics looks like it has claimed another scalp, this time it may be the Gillard government itself.  The asylum seeker debate has taken another turn after yesterday’s ruling by the High Court. The landslide six to one ruling has put another nail in the coffin of the minority government.

In short, the judgment has found that Australia can’t send asylum seekers to Malaysia because of the absence of legal protection for asylum seekers within the laws of Malaysia thus contriving Australia’s own commitments under the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention. Malaysia, unlike Australia, is not a signatory.

Click to read more ...