Don't blame the culprit!

How many desperate boat people came from Vietnam? Now desperate asylum seekers arrive here from Iraq and Afghanistan. Labor and Liberal appear ever eager to point the accusing finger at folk escaping war, when they should be acknowledging the fact that if it were not for Uncle Sam being unable to keep his missiles in his pants these exodus would not occur on such a scale. Gillard and Abbott suck up to the 'big bully boy' while bossing around 'his' victims. So pathetic and sad.

Feel sorry

I feel sorry for these people

How can people disagree with our laws

I note that people are again disagreeing with me on the law. It is not illegal to come and claim refugees status, it never has been. The law is that fact, how can people keep disagreeing.

Poor form

Why is SBS publicly vilifying someone doing a difficult job without allowing the right of reply? Questioning credibility does not require a specific statement of disbelief. The plausibility of the whole account is questioned. The decision was upheld by a higher authority I understand - what did it say? Was the decision legally incorrect? Why didn't the person then go to court? What did his agent say? Why was only one witness in Iraq interviewed who hid the person for a "full day"?

corrupt

The asylum seekers process is corrupt. It is unfair, unjust and open to political interference. The assessment process is arbitrary and case workers rarely properly trained to make impartial informed decisions. As an advocate for asylum seekers I have had numerous clients threatened by their case worker that if they complain they will: not get a visa, or never get their family reunification. This is particularly true should they talk to the media. Abuse in detention is covered up.

Get informed about asylum seekers, don't just form an opinion based on hearsay and paranoia.

Thank you for this report, we need to hear a lot more about the human stories behind detention! Good on you Dateline for doing this and for the other two fantastic stories this week! Btw, Victor: keep watching. I think you need it. You obviously have very liitle idea about what drives people to get on those boats. Most of the people in detention have UN refugee cards already anyway. (and many do have degrees)

Why People are dying in detention

For the record - this man could not be deported to Syria becasue they would not take him. he would have to return to Iraq and take his chances slipping across the border. 6 deaths in detention in less than one year. Two possible deaths coming up. Why no one cares. Everybody knows but hey asylum seekers count for nothing. The RSPCA has more power to prevent cruelty to dogs than the HRC or Ombudsman have to prevent cruelty to people in detention.

Ahmad

Excellent program, thank you to producers... I have worked in a refugee camp for almost 2 yr and with refugees at home.( so have many other Australians) Ahmad represents the despair at hand, still not being addressed. I remember being thrown a message from a bamboo pole before a refugee jumped to his death. What is happening to our humanity in this Facebook society? I am so tired of politicians, panels, some citizens and academics.