Our real obligation

THE reasons why governments want overseas processing for refugee boat arrivals are not (as announced) to deprive people-smugglers of victims.
They are the following, though not admitted by the politicians to be the reasons.
Firstly, to ensure that the refugees do not land on Australian territory and thereby gain access to Australian law, which would give them entitlements which the government does not wish them to have; and secondly, to try to prevent those boat people who are found not to be refugees from becoming an economic burden to this country, since if no other country can be found which will accept them then they are stuck here.
Australia is a signatory to the International Conventions on Refugees; our political parties’ aim is to prevent these conventions becoming accessible to boat people.
Otherwise why go to the great trouble and expense of overseas processing, when processing on Australian soil would be so much cheaper and more convenient.
John Howard went to great lengths to prevent Tampa reaching Australian territory.
Depriving people-smugglers of victims is a worthy aim, but pales into insignificance compared with the real obligation to help refugees; it is not an aim justifying such heartless and callous policies as those pursued by both parties.
The number of arriving boat people is miniscule to justify such an aim, and it is also clear that a significant proportion of the population of Australia does not support the current attitudes of rejection of boar people.
However, the ALP web page (alp.org.au/agenda/strengtheningaustralia/) does not even acknowledge the existence of boat people and refugees, while the Coalition’s policy is to turn the boats back’, a recipe for tragedies on the high seas.
The Coalition also threatens people who habour illegal immigrants with up to 10 years jail: an ominous sign of extreme right-wing brutality, reminiscent of fascist governments.
John Miller,
Berwick.