Australia's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers: Penelope Mathew, ANU

[lovelplants]

i like the lecture.. i'll see the full lecture..

[kimrecreant]

Most boat people come here for economic reasons. But facts like this don't suit the agendas of the refugee industry, that includes smugglers, academics, lawyers.

[Crzeimasha]

"According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, at the end of 2009 there were some 9 million refugees worldwide. Only 2.6% of these, 22,548, were in Australia"

Australia? Please explain.

[mmmail1969]

@Crzeimasha - because like everyone else on planet Earth, we're not made of money and we need to manage the arrival of people in Australia, like I'd imagine every other nation does - both those who come legally and those who just turn up. Australia (and a handful of other nations) cannot be the answer to all the worlds problems!

Yes, there are too many refugees and they are fleeing difficult situations, but you can't just turn up and demand entry to another country.

[182lynette]

Why are you people protesting for the real refugees you know the ones that didnt come here illegally the ones that dont have the money the ones that are waiting on the que lines the ones who have children? The children we dont see where are you actions for these people? How many illegal boat refugees that come here how many places are they taking from these families waiting to be saved legally!!!!!!!!!!!

[jumbz2]

wow i'd really like someone to use that Human Rights Watch study against a Lib or Lab politician on a session of Q&A... facts are facts.

[caylon31]

why do they think Australian people will let them in when there is house shortage in rentals in Australia,....Australians are getting angry on all boat Asylum seekers trying to get into there country when there is a shortage off homes the only place Asylum seekers will see is a detention centre and a ride back to there country later with no progress

[SvendBosanvovski]

The majority of people in Australia unlawfully do not come here by boat. About 50,000 over stay their visa at any one time and, when caught, many claim to entertain a reasonable fear of persecution on their return to their home country, and this must be related to their national origin, religion, or political belief. There have been a little over 3,000 boat arrival in the past 12 months. The noise about the arrival of boat people is linked to a deep xenophobia about the yellow peril.

[elliotoblio]

i dont think its xenophobia, its more based on the mental state of some one that is willing to put womens & especially childrens lives at risk on such a long journey, its not good character ,its also queue jumping a basic principal that every one does not like, it gets under your skin, who doesnt hate a queue jumper, its not on, its not about skin color its about the lack of respect for the basic system in place if we didnt have that system it would be chaos on a different level !

[U2INXS100]

Australia deserves no criticism or being told it doesn't comply. 1951 and any subsequent amendments need to be revisited. Every person and Country is responsible ofr their own. Their is a "duty of care" by every Country to sort out their own issues with their own people not handball it to another Country because they choose not to. This isn't a human rights issue, its a Country/ies failing to support their own in times of their own need and basically handballing it to others.

[usydtimos]

@U2INXS100 what you fail to understand is that people whose own countries "fail to support" them still have human rights. so where are they supposed to go? by your logic, if your house burns down, no one else should help you - you should deal with it on your own. if your small town is flooded, all the residents should remain there and not seek outside help. utter rubbish! we are all humans and we should bear responsibility.

[iloveyouraiz]

@U2INXS100haahahaha who is australian people ?? no one except aboriginies who are the land owner and all white were born aborigines country hahah

[S1lent2011]

@iloveyouraiz

Actually the original natives came to Australia by boat, therefore its the animals truely belong the land. The aboriginals wiped out the original mega fauna on Australia so they are not environmentally friendly at all.