Controversial!
There should be a distinct line between being tough and being inhumane however the line is blurred in the terms of australias refugee policy. Our current system humiliates and psychologically damages innocent people.
And we are known as the lucky country? we are known for our multiculturalisn, we are welcoming refugees... arent we? It is even in the second verse of our national anthem!
"for those who come across the sea, we've boundless plains to share"
what second verse you say, you probably have never heard of it because 9 times out of 10 we dont sing the second verse. This is probably a reflection of most of the populations opinion towards boat people.
However too many people aren't correctly informed on the issue, boat people aren't doing anything illegal, Australian law permits entry into australia wether or not they have valid travel and identification papers as long as they are entering for the purrpose of seeking asylum only. Asylum seekers are not breaking any laws simply by arriving on boats or without authorisation.
Not to mention the fact that most if not all asylum seekers are facing persecution, abuse, war and other inhumane situations that are unbearable to deal with, and hence come to us the lucky country to experience a minimum of 3 more years of inhumane activities against themselves in detention centres similar to one that many ex-detainees shudder at the name of woomera.
Woomera was a detention centre that opened in 1999 and closed in 2003, numerous human rights laws were broken and more often than not people turned to sucide or self harm to get them through. Humans follow a pattern , history repeats itself and the conditions of woomera are sure to be repeated in numerous on-shore and off-shore detention centres australia has.
There needs to be a solution we can't just sweep the asylum seekers under the mat of political secrets that i am positive the australian government has, we need change in many areas but who is willing to stand up and fight?
Controversiall
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