Australia-´s comic for deterring asylum-seekers

[SkullKing]

http://www.news.com.au/national/the-...-1226824447746

So, apparently the Australian government made a comic to deter people from going to Australia illegally.

On one hand, I think that alot of people who do this, do so because they have unreal expectations of how much better life will be, so an honest hard look at reality might be beneficial.

However, I also seem to hear that a lot of those persons arent´simply illegal immigrants, and are actually refugees, so that is somewhat bothersome to me.

I don´t really know Australia enought to comment one way or the other, I think.

What are your thoughts? Specially those fratchers that live there?

[Gravekeeper]

Personally, I would have made a comic that showcases all the different types of wildlife that can kill you in Australia.

But, seriously. Can we talk about how terrible the art is? I mean geez. >.>

[Andara Bledin]

So... what's up with that last panel?

What is it suggesting that Australia does to people who go to Australia without a visa on a boat?

[SkullKing]

it suggests they are imprisoned in a remote island full of bugs

[KabeRinnaul]

it suggests they are imprisoned in a remote island full of bugs

So... They become Australians?

[fireheart17]

Personally, I would have made a comic that showcases all the different types of wildlife that can kill you in Australia.

I think there are comics like that out there!

So... They become Australians?

Oi you!

So... what's up with that last panel?

What is it suggesting that Australia does to people who go to Australia without a visa on a boat?

The idea that is constantly trotted out by both the media and by the current PM (and to some extent, the last two PMs) is that the refugees are skipping every other country that's nearby because Australia will give them a free pass. (Their quote is often that they're required to go to the first country that'll take them. This completely ignores the fact that Australia's intake of refugees [genuine or otherwise] is smaller than most other countries.)

The comic is basically suggesting that every single refugee is somehow cashed up and able to afford a plane flight from the Middle East to Indonesia. Far too often it's the Middle East that are frequent targets of the "you're an illegal immigrant" bashing.
From Indonesia, they go on a leaky boat, throw their travel documents overboard and then sail into Australian waters until the Australian navy gets them and then takes them to detention centres. From there, their claims for asylum are processed and they're released into the community.

The actual "issue" is that they're a) queue-jumping, b) getting free stuff which the homeless DON'T get and c) lazing around on welfare and not actually getting any work.

There WAS a deal that went around that basically anyone who did try the above-mentioned path would end up being shipped over to Papua New Guinea. At this stage I'm not sure if that group were sent over to PNG instead, but there is a detention centre there. The current government's policy is to tow them BACK into Indonesian waters and let the Indonesian authorities deal with them.

What the "FUCK OFF WE'RE FULL" types tend to ignore is the number of people who overstay their visas or end up taking part in love scams to gain citizenship (ie the classic "marry an Australian, then once you get citizenship, dump him/her and bring your whole family over"). And out of the "legal" migrants and refugees that are brought in, the smart ones are able to hide the fact that they're going to be working in some shape or form on the wrong type of visa. The not-so-smart ones get caught.

Finally, the "FUCK OFF WE'RE FULL" types also seem to believe that there is this magical helicopter or other means of transportation for governments to magically swoop in and pick up refugees from refugee camps to take them to Australia (or other countries). Given that would be somewhat cost-prohibitive....

[Andara Bledin]

I was joking about that last panel... since it's nothing but a wash of red... so I was being a bit morbid.

[wolfie]

Finally, the "FUCK OFF WE'RE FULL" types also seem to believe that there is this magical helicopter or other means of transportation for governments to magically swoop in and pick up refugees from refugee camps to take them to Australia (or other countries). Given that would be somewhat cost-prohibitive....

I'm surprised the FOWF crowd doesn't push for legislation similar to that which Canada had many years back (at time of Komogatu Maru) regarding immigration from India - i.e. only admit refugees who make the entire trip from their home country via land transportation.

[fireheart17]

I'm surprised the FOWF crowd doesn't push for legislation similar to that which Canada had many years back (at time of Komogatu Maru) regarding immigration from India - i.e. only admit refugees who make the entire trip from their home country via land transportation.

Most of them are islamophobes. If the asylum seekers were Christian, they'd be accepting them with open arms.

[wolfie]

Two words - "Selective enforcement". While the law in existence at the time of the Komogatu Maru incident placed limits on immigration from India, if a prospective immigrant were descended from British colonists (as opposed to being of indigenous stock, as were the people on that ship), Canadian authorities would have "looked the other way".

[RedRoseSpiral]

Slightly off topic, but the love scammers are making it harder for those of us who are legally trying to enter the country to be with our loved ones, marry, and gain citizenship. In the past 5 years the price of the visa has almost quadrupled.

[draco664]

So, apparently the Australian government made a comic to deter people from going to Australia illegally.

On one hand, I think that alot of people who do this, do so because they have unreal expectations of how much better life will be, so an honest hard look at reality might be beneficial.

"Boat people" are a hot-issue, polarizing opinion in a lot of people.

Short history:

About ten years ago, there were lots of boats arriving with asylum seekers. The conservative government implemented a policy whereby those who arrived by boat seeking asylum were not taken to Australia, but sent to other countries to be processed. This effectively meant that they did not have access to seemingly endless legal appeals, and that if they were found to be actual refugees, they would be settled in another country.

Whatever your opinion on the legality/morality of such a policy, it was effective in stopping the people smugglers.

Then in 2007, the conservative government lost power, and the new labor government scrapped the policy as inhumane. Over the next six years, more boats arrived than ever before. Several sank, leading to estimates of somewhere in the region of a thousand deaths at sea, including children.

Six months ago, the conservative party regained power, and implemented a policy where intercepted boats would be evacuated, the passengers loaded into unsinkable lifeboats, and given just enough fuel and supplies to make it back to Indonesia. After a few successful returns (plus a fair few diplomatic argy-bargies between Jakarta and Canberra), there hasn't been another boat in 8 weeks (when they were arriving daily before).

However, I also seem to hear that a lot of those persons arent´simply illegal immigrants, and are actually refugees, so that is somewhat bothersome to me.

I don´t really know Australia enought to comment one way or the other, I think.

What are your thoughts? Specially those fratchers that live there?

As I said, it's a polarizing issue. Some people think the majority of the boat people are genuine refugees. Some think that they're not. Given the obscene amounts the people smugglers charge for a spot on a boat, I have my doubts that many are genuine refugees.

Australia takes around 20 thousand refugees annually. I doubt that number will increase much any time soon, since they get little in the way of assistance to assimilate - leading to being overrepresented in crime statistics. With all the bad press that gets them, the political will to bring more in is weak.

[Nyoibo]

96% of asylum seekers that arrive by boat are found to be genuine refugees, that number drops to about 50-60% for asylum seekers who arrive by plane.

[draco664]

96% of asylum seekers that arrive by boat are found to be genuine refugees

There is a distinction to be made here. "Found to be geniune refugee" vs "Refugee status accepted"

A millionaire who follows a script and has no documents is not discernibly different from a genuine refugee. There's a reason people smuggling was such a profitable business.

, that number drops to about 50-60% for asylum seekers who arrive by plane.

Asylum seekers who arrive by plane have documentation - passports and visas and the like. Their identify can be verified and their claims can be checked.

[HYHYBT]

This may be a stupid question, but why would millionaires be sneaking into Australia as illegal immigrants?