pweedas. I don't think you are getting what asylum seeking is.. Its not immigration.
Things we do at this end don't encourage asylum seeking. Having you and your family exposed to life threatening situations such as war, famine and civil unrest encourages asylum seeking. What is wrong with providing basic human rights to those that need it??
Well what we could is buy a second hand 747, keep them on xmas island untill they have enough numbers to fill it then take them back to where they came from. Easy!
Now that would be cheaper than holding them for two years on xmas island, wouldnt you think?
So, seeing I just got a serve for my opinion, or lack thereof
(not to mention red-thumbed
)...what are you guys doing about it all?
Now you guys, (pweedas, jmurray, GD...etc.) are obviously very passionate about this topic, and seem to be fairly knowledgeable in ways of interpreting media comment & using Wikifacts...so I expect that you're doing more than just whinging on a public forum, and are actively seeking methods to stop the flow of asylum seekers, by...
-contacting your local MP?
-writing letters to the PM?
-picketting on the beach at Christmas Island?
-doing anything constructive about it?
...or are you guys just going to be content with putting on a show of knowledge on this topic, until something else more worthy of debate arises & you jump on that bandwagon? If so, you're no better than someone like me...who does nothing about it also, but at least I'm honest about it.
To be perfectly honest...If there was enough wind, I wouldn't even be typing this. I'd have knocked off early, and gone to the beach!
(not to mention red-thumbed)...what are you guys doing about it all? 
9th April 2010 United Nations states.
People smuggling is ''totally out of control'', with thousands of asylum seekers jostling to get to Australia, according to the senior representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Indonesia, Manuel Jordao.
The comments come as asylum seekers report the price of a passage to Australia has halved as more human-trafficking syndicates emerge to take advantage of an influx of irregular immigrants. With the knowledge that Australia has now become an easy target.
In an interview with the Herald, Mr Jordao said a ''huge percentage'' of almost 4000 asylum seekers on the UNHCR's books in Indonesia would try to reach Australia by boat rather than wait for resettlement through official channels. Knowing that others have landed on Australian soil and now will be processed into Australia..
Along with those registered with the UNHCR, there are believed to be thousands more Afghans, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans who bypass the UNHCR as they wait for people smugglers to take them to Australia.
)
this forum is just a cross section of the wider world, it is concerned mainly
with four elements , wind, wave, water and wanderlust. What am I doing
about it ? Well I for one am discussion the situation with like
interest people here, I would hope their intellect is a good/bad as mine.
I know that these forumists are scattered all over Australia and have have
many and different views, that enhance my knowledge of opinion,
Wether I wish to add that to my own is in the mind of the beholder.
As a proud Australian I welcome all the worlds people to holiday here,
Those who want to stay for whatever reason are tentatively welcome as
long as they wish to have what Australia now has, the things that they
wanted to come for. Not what they want to do with Australia,[}:)]
One group I have a problem with are the ones who wish the infidel [me]
to be deposed of in whatever way they think appropriate. By whatever
means. I don't 
believe in that !!!!!! .......
edit...so Smedg sounds like you wish to sort the terms of admittance
After the event.... " She wont be right mate!! "
or are you a brown armed stirrer ????
Wait a minute!
Did somebody say Sharia law?
Does that mean I can have more than 1 wife and chop the bastard who stole my stuff hands off?
Hmmm, maybe we need mo'boat people.
One motorist in Scotland offered what must be a unique reason why he should keep his license.
Mohammed Anwar said a ban would make it difficult to commute between his two wives and fulfill his matrimonial duties.
His lawyer told a Scottish court the Muslim restaurant owner has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow — he is allowed up to four under his religion — and sleeps with them on alternate nights.
Anwar was clocked at 64 mph in a 30 mph zone, an offense that is sufficient for license revocation. In a saner world, the man's excuse would have been laughed out of court.
However, that did not happen: "Anwar admitted the offense, but Sheriff John C. Morris accepted his plea not to be banned and allowed him to keep his license. Instead, he was fined £200 and given six penalty points."
Asylum seeker boat carrying ten arrives
April 10, 2010, 9:22 am
Border Protection Command has successfully intercepted another suspected irregular entry vessel carrying eight passengers and two crew.
This is the 39th asylum seeker boat to be intercepted so far this year and the first since the federal government announced changed procedures for dealing with asylum seekers designed to deter the growing influx of arrivals from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The nationality of those aboard the vessel is unknown at this stage.
Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the patrol boat HMAS Maitland, operating under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted the vessel on Friday evening north northeast of West Island in the Ashmore group.
Initial indications were that eight passengers and two crew were on board the vessel, he said.
"The group will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo security, identity and health checks and their reasons for travel will be established," he said in a statement.
"While their nationality is yet to be confirmed, if these asylum seekers are Sri Lankans or Afghans their claims will not be considered for at least three or six months respectively, under a processing suspension introduced by the government on 9 April 2010."
I agree with the line of compassionate thinking. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. How could you turn somebody in a situation like that away? It's not human.
But ...this is how Rome fell (really). Conquer a bunch of nations and then they all move in and outbreed you. Breeding is the ultimate weapon.
Totally confused. Who wrote this play we're in?
Second asylum seeker boat intercepted
Today April 10, 2010, 7:52 pm
A boat with 36 asylum seekers and four crew has been intercepted near Ashmore Island in the Indian Ocean.
HMAS Maitland, under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted the vessel about 5pm (AEST) on Saturday, a statement from Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says.
It's the 40th boat intercepted in Australian waters this year, and the second since the government announced changed procedures for dealing with asylum seekers to deter the influx of arrivals from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
It follows the arrival of another boat on Friday evening, intercepted near Ashmore Reef carrying eight asylum seekers and two crew.
The latest group, whose nationality is unknown, will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo security, identity and health checks
COme one come all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Asylum boat 41 intercepted
April 11, 2010, 12:19 pm
Authorities have intercepted another boat of asylum seekers on its way to Australia.
Initial indications suggest there are 25 passengers and two crew members on board the boat.
It is the 41st so-called illegal entry vessel to be intercepted this year and the third since the Federal Government moved on Friday to suspend the processing of claims for people from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
The boat was intercepted by a Customs vessel this morning north-west of Browse Island off the West Australian coast.
Ok what the heck....Turn Christmas island in to a city...they will have enough people there by the end of the year...
I don't think I am angry anymore...It's starting to be a funny joke
From a purely practical point of view; Rudd and Co. have managed to put the country in the worst financial state it has ever been in so how are we going to support these people
Please don't anybody say that they will do the jobs that Australians are too proud or lazy to do.
Rudd changed the rules for refugees to "As soon as you are in the door, turn left and go straight to Centrelink."
The fear of "Muslimisation of the Australian culture" is a small part of the overall problem.
The biggest danger is the country being flodded with low or no skilled people with little cultural sophistication of any brand except that of street survival and begging.
The arrogance of Rudd and his crew is beyond belief and worse than Keating ever was. They just don't care what the voter wants.
Who are those two twit women in the second row on the labor side behind whoever is speaking
Pardon me for quoting myself from a previous post on 5th April when I said;
Forget any real issues that actually affect the average citizen (other than to stir inherant distrust and fear of those differant) such as health, schools, aged care, price of food, extreme cost of housing.
Let's wind the clock back about 12 yrs and play the same stoopid race fear and loathing game that sidelined any real issues then too.
Our stoopidity makes it all waaaayyyy easier for polies - on both sides.
Boat arrivals cost so much because of the 'Pacific Solution' policy. This was borne from feeding the xenophobic attitudes, that were nutured to a frenzied state, and look like going there again.
Head in the sand politics that just keeps re-occuring. It is shameful how dumb the 2 party game is. Go to a mirror, close your eyes and pin a tail on yaself. Donkey.
Is anyone actually questioning whether Afghan arrivals or Tamils from Sri Lanka are genuine refugees? Seriously??
I have noticed an enourmous amount of Jewish holocaust docos etc appearing on TV, movies and radio in the last couple of years. I find it hard to understand how there can be so much sympathy for history compared to the seemingly ignorant bliss in turning our backs on people fleeing genocide occuring today.
And we cynically laugh at people who say they didn't know the holocaust was happening.
We can't stop them arriving no matter how much posturing and rhetoric is shovelled onto the issue.
Potential solutions:
Start reporting the situation factually (would be a nice change). Refugees are NOT illegal immigrants as they are so often labelled. Arriving as a refugee is not illegal in any sense under Oz and international laws.
Take the racist politics and mislabelling out of the equation.
Stop passing the buck (literally billions in the case of Nairoo) to small foreign countrys to allow us to be removed from our international obligations.
Close Christmas Island processing - thereby saving billions. A report I heard on the weekend suggested that between 40-100 BILLION had been speant on CI.
Process the refugees quicker.
Instead of paying for a refugee to be held for 3 yrs, seperated from children/partners/parents until they are a basket case. Get the refugees out into the community and programs where the $$$ can be spent aiming (hey it is a big ask but not impossible and we are spending mega bucks anyway) to allow them to join to the workforce, pay taxes and ultimately contribute.
Instead of then having a mentally fkd up individual with no English that becomes a 100% burden on the country, we potentially have a human being (try to remember that bit - human being) that can overcome the tragedy and horror they have seen and realise the feeling of being useful, safe and part of a healthy society. Most likely they will end up doing the sort of jobs most dinkey di folks would turn their noses up at anyway. Win, win.
Sigh... arriving by boat is not doing the wrong thing. It is arriving as a refugee. If you apply for status you will be stalled for years (I'mm sure the militia at the door will be patient). Arriving by any means as a genuine refugee is acceptable in my book. The numbers we put up with in Oz are trivial compared to countries in Europe. Compared to the $$ we fork out trying to appear as though we can stop them is a joke. A very bad joke.
Pweedus you are spot on that immigration and asylum seekers are unrelated. You wouldn't know that from the way the majority of polies, media and public address the issue though. Roll sticky issues into one unpalatable morsel to make it easier for the dumb public and cover any need to address real issues is the plan for our polies.
Wake up folks and demand our polies to stop boolsh!tting and patronising us. Tieing (imagined) the figure of polulation in 2050 into the immigration and asylum debates is just the latest smaoke n mirrors for the dumb public game that has been goimng on for decades. Inform yourself and demand the polies stop lying to us. Make any polie that does attempt to BS us pay at the next election.
Pweedas you're on a roll. One can never go too far wrong by counting on the worst of people. They never fail to disappoint.
