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Is Australia's immigration policy set for a nasty turn?
Concerns have emerged about a ‘security statement’ Australian PM Tony Abbot is expected to release next week, according to a report on the SBS. Queensland MP Teresa Gambaro has indicated that changes are brewing that could have significant impact on the Coalition government’s support for the immigration program and multiculturalism.
The former Assistant Minister for Immigration in the Howard government, MS Gambaro said in a statement to SBS that "while it seems clear that there have been very concerning failures of process and a lack of proper diligence with security checks, we should not let these failures of process lead us to question the strengths and benefits of our migration program or our success as a multicultural society.”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has raised the Lindt Café as an example of where lax enforcement of bail rules allowed Man Haron Monis free on bail while facing serious charges.
Mr Abbott has detailed the areas he wanted to examine in the context of the security statement.
"It's clear to me, that for too long, we have given those who might be a threat to our country the benefit of the doubt,” he said in a recent statement. “There’s been the benefit of the doubt at our borders, the benefit of the doubt for residency, the benefit of the doubt for citizenship and the benefit of the doubt at Centrelink...And in the courts, there has been bail, when clearly there should have been jail.”
SBS survey of some some sectors of Australia's ethnic communities leadership indicates that they were concerned that the approach could undermine support for multiculturalism in Australia while Civil Liberties groups have raised their concerns about the Government’s plan to end the so called ‘benefit of the doubt’.
There were no further details available from the prime minister about the plans at this stage.
Comments
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Friday, 20 February 2015SBS is hardly a reliable source for "news" when it comes to Tony Abbott. "SBS survey of some some sectors of Australia's ethnic communities leadership indicates ..." is neither a statement of fact nor opinion, and it's a bit irksome to see it here. Let's wait and see. Tony Abbott is highly unpredictable. (And those who think he is predictable should look at the shocked faces of members of his own party whenever he opines on matters trivial or important.)
Let's wait and see. If he has come up with a scary plan, there are organizations in place that are more than ready to meet almost any threat on multicultural and civil rights issues.
On a related front, I am most interested to see if Tony has any comments on the forthcoming weekend festivities in Sydney. It's another opportunity for him to say something shocking. But the gay/lesbian community are more than ready for any faux pas he might commit. They have been on his case since he reportedly refused to condemn police for their treatment of the first Mardi Gras protesters in 1978 (Sydney Star Observer, 21-04-2010). Let's wait and see. Lighten up. -
Friday, 20 February 2015
I recall the Migration Alliance lobbying vociferously against the Labor Government before the last election and immoderately joining the chorus of business groups supporting the Coalition. This was despite the long standing nastiness of the Liberal Party towards asylum seekers. If that nastiness is to be extended to other program areas, who should we thank?
That minor dig aside, I had hoped the MA's support for the Coalition would result in the Coalition dealing with some of our industry issues, specifically, by wiping out non-registered practice. Has there been any progress on this or has Senator Cash committed to do anything about it? -
Friday, 20 February 2015
If due diligence in security matters is considered nastiness, so be it. There are millions [maybe billions] of people around the world that would satisfy the very flawed UNHCR definition of a refugee; that being -
"owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it."
Should or could Australia offer sanctuary to all those who satisfy the definition? Obviously not. Many must miss out due to practical considerations. It must be better that those who pose significant security risks are the first crossed off the list.
Why and how did the requirement that the asylum seeker first seek asylum in the first country outside their own disappear? It is patently obvious to any reasonable observer that Australia is a far more favourable destination than the nearest safe haven based entirely on economic considerations. That people don't want asylum in nearer nations discounts the validity of their claims. The sooner the bleeding hearts acknowledge this fact, the sooner the debate becomes based upon reality and not fluffy emotion. -
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Totally agree with Robert and I applied that criteria when interviewing UNHCR selected Cambodians in refugee camps in Thailand in the mid eighties. Very few indeed met the criteria and even then criminal records could not be checked and the same goes for the Vietnamese we approved under the SRVN Orderly Departure program. Those Vietnamese Refugees that were accepted by China soon escaped to Hong Kong for a second go as life in China did not suit. The clever HK Government provided camp accommodation (no air-con, no TV, no mod cons, no handouts) but provided transport to take you to town to look for a job and earn your keep. The lack of bleeding hearts in Hong Kong was a blessing. Needless to say the "refugees" have gone as life was meant to be easy.
My suggestion to the bleeding hearts and do-gooders is, put your money when your mouth is. Form a club or group, make generous donations to the club and cover the costs of all expenses related to your choice and number of refugees. I am waiting for Sarah Hanson Young to open the doors of her home to welcome a refugee -
Friday, 20 February 2015
For many years many hundreds of extremist Moslems & their families were given Asylum /refugees status from Indonesia and the middle East . Many more have entered Australia with no real and genuine proof of identity.
Abbott has my FULL support . Australia must be protected from the flood of terrorists , economic migrants and criminals flooding Europe now.
Tighter border control and ID checks are critical and a total loyalty to Australia rather than using our great country as a source of funds and a place to live . Monis was granted refugee status by DIBP......totally appalling . The huge numbers of young Australia fighting for IS is a reflection on how pathetic multiculturalism policy has been . -
Thursday, 12 March 2015
I find it totally wasteful of our time that Jerry is posting blogs on supposed stories from sources that are at best not easily trusted because of their political slant about "facts" that may never occur. There is so much preposterous blather on the subject of what Tony Abbott thinks or doesn't think or is going to do or not going to do that publishing another wild speculation is at best a waste of time. Blogs have a reputation for rubbish. Jerry, you're a sharp person and you know better.
Immigration blog
"set for a nasty turn"?
That course was travelled long ago.