Coalition’s policy drew more boat people
17/5/08: http://www.smh.com.au/letters/index.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
The scrapping of temporary protection visas for refugees is long overdue and very welcome (”1000 refugees receive protection, not detention”, May 16). The Opposition’s claim that this sends a “clear message to people smugglers that Australia’s borders are open for business” should not go unchallenged. The Immigration Department’s statistics show that more people came by boat in the two months following the introduction of TPVs than had arrived in the previous10 months. Before TPVs, men travelled alone on the boats to Australia hoping to sponsor their families to join them later. But once TPVs came in, they could not access the family reunion program. With no legitimate way to be reunited with husbands and fathers, wives and children turned to people smugglers. Before TPVs, very few children were among asylum-seeker boat passengers. After TPVs the percentage of children on the boats increased. On SIEV X, the boat that sank en route to Australia killing 353people, more than 35 per cent of the passengers were children, most of whom drowned. - Sue Hoffman Bassendean (WA)
See: 1000 refugees receive protection, not detention; Yuko Narushima; 16/5/08; http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/1000-refugees-receive-protection-not-detention/2008/05/15/1210765059727.html
Tags: Australia, Human Rights, Refugees