Hello, honey!

[skyring]

Back in the old days, not too long ago, the aim of illegal immigrants was to get to Australian shores undetected, change into clothes that wouldn't give the game away and disappear into the population. One memorable incident involved about twenty ethnic Chinese suddenly appearing in a sleepy North Queensland town, all in business suits, clutching cheap suitcases, and asking about transport to Sydney.

Yeah. Way to blend into the population of a small town where shorts and singlets are the go, everyone went to school together and the only way out is to call a taxi from the next town, an hour's drive away.

Nowadays, it's all changed. They want to be found. Illegal or not, the best and quickest way to settle in Australia is to ring up the authorities and claim asylum. The latest lot arrived, found nobody waiting, and made a call to the emergency number!

Look, I'm as sympathetic to refugees as the next person, but this is just taking advantage. If we have an annual intake, I'd prefer to take our refugees from those who get out of the troubled country, then apply at the nearest Australian embassy or consulate once they are out of danger, and be flown safely in when their applications are approved. Those who force our hand, presenting their arrival here as a fait accompli, I'm not so sure about.

Comments

Re: This is such an emotive issue

[newkaligula.livejournal.com]

Yes yes. Agree. I wasn't railling against refugees in
general. We should continue to
take as many as we can. This is such a polar
issue. I can barely understand the other point
of view. And they certainly don't get mine. So
it has become one of those things that people
try not to talk about.