Rudd 'rolling out the welcome mat'

15 Oct 2009, 10:38 am   -   Source: AAP
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Members of the group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers intercepted by Indonesian authorities have pleaded to be granted residency in Australia (AAP)

Members of the group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers intercepted by Indonesian authorities have pleaded to be granted residency in Australia (AAP)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has laid out the welcome mat and made Australia a "soft target" for asylum seekers, the federal opposition says.

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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has laid out the welcome mat and made Australia a "soft target" for asylum seekers, the federal opposition says.

Authorities are reportedly monitoring another six boatloads of asylum seekers which are suspected to be on their way to Australia, and Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull says there are thousands more in the pipeline because immigration laws have been wound back under the Rudd government.

"(Mr Rudd) has unpicked a very carefully constructed fabric of policy that has enabled us to have protective borders and little or no illegal arrivals," Mr Turnbull told Macquarie Radio on Thursday.

"We are now facing what looks like being the beginning of a flood."

Almost 2,000 illegal arrivals under Mr Rudd's policy change meant the Christmas Island detention centre was full, he said.

"He's created the impression we're a soft target and the people smugglers, as is abundantly evident, are using that as a marketing tool and we've had 2,000 arrivals, just under, since he's started softening the policies, and there's ... a lot more to come," Mr Turnbull said.

"It was only a few months back that the government was saying that the Christmas Island detention facility was an expensive white elephant because there was no one in it.

"The fact that nobody was in it was because the Howard government policies had worked.

"The Rudd government policies are filling it to overflowing and they will shortly have to be housing these people on the mainland, which of course defeats the whole purpose of the offshore processing at Christmas Island."

Mr Turnbull denied the increased number of illegal arrivals was due to overseas conflict, as suggested by the government, saying that such "push factors" had always existed.

"We were able, in government, to buy a series of measures, a whole web of measures, to create the impression that Australia was a very hard place to get into and if you gave your money to the people smuggler, you could not be assured that you would wind up in Australia," he said.

"That was deliberately designed to undermine the business of the people smugglers."

The acceptance of unauthorised asylum seekers carved a hole in Australia's capacity to "select" it's annual intake of 13,000 immigrants, Mr Turnbull said.

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Mrs.

Debbie - from Adelaide, 3 years ago

"They are economic opportunists" I would have thought the person who want's Christmas Island deserted with no asylum seekers in it, was the real economic opportunist. The Asylum seeker's don't belong to the "Elite Society" Most of our Ancestors were the backbone to this Country, who fled their own wars also. They also came out with money, to start afresh from prosecution in their own countries. We could do with More Hindu's in our Country. We could do with more Indian Cuisine

Asylum Seekers.

Taxpayer - from sydney, 3 years ago

Over seas countries do not pay Asylum Seekers to come. Australia rolls out the welcome mat with homes, education, medical, dental and pensions. Navy gives them the Royal Escort. The boats are not leaky they make them so. Navy watches them all the way so they will not get into trouble the boats will not sink. We have another boat in distress of Malayasia and our Navy is rushing to its aid. Doesn"t Malaysia have a Navy. The Tamals will come our Navy will get them here one way or another.

mr

richard - from canberra, 3 years ago

We can’t solve the problems by accept this kind people as asylum-seeker. The Rudd government changed the policy that opens the door to encourage more and more people try to enter Australia through back door. If Rudd realised the problem coursing by his soft policy, why not change it back to Howard’s hard policy now? It will save millions of taxpayer’s money. The way of save “face" is not good option. In the end people will vote them out of power if they did listen the people.

Canadians know better

Gordon Weiss - from Canada, 3 years ago

Let's use some logic here. These people paid between $1000 - $4000 US for this trip. Despite the closest port of call being Tamil Nadu, India, they chose to come to Australia for economic reasons. Real refugees don't have that kind of money. The move to come to Australia was calculated, and one made with economic reasons behind. The UK has deported 87 Tamils to Sri Lanka this year. All deported continue to lead normal lives upon their return.

First port of call?

J - from Sydney, 3 years ago

Rex - The majority of the countries they pass through before they get to Australia from Sri Lanka ARE NOT signatures of the refugee convention. Everyone has the right to seek asylum and I think we would all choose to pass through countries that won't accept us until we reach the one who has, technically, signed up to protect us from the trauma we have left. In Afghanistan there isn't even a UN refugee presence, so how do you join the 'official' queue for asylum in that country?

Tamils are not refugees

George - from Sydney, 3 years ago

Australia must realise that the Tamils seekingr asylum are not genuine refugees. They are economic opportunists and part of a carefully orchestrated people-smuggling-operation by the LTTE. Just ask them why they choose to come to Australia instead of nearby India where over 60 million people of their own culture speak their language. Today's news carried a statement by a Ms Pari that the camps in Sri Lanka are run by the military. This is not true. The camps are run by the civilian authorities.

I beg you...

Dave - from Act, 3 years ago

Please do not make us look like the UK.... what a hole!

Asylum Seekers

gmlewis - from Trinity Beach Queensland, 3 years ago

Just pause for a second, minute or hours, or however long to sink in put yourself in the A/S position, what would you do..no glib comments, just think about it, through no fault of yours, you are subjected to Government seeking power, where no regard to the people, and we call ourselves HUMANS with a brain that can reason..What chance for the other creatures on this great planet????

They are NOT Refugees.

Rex - from ACT, 3 years ago

It still amazes me that no one in the government can understand that to be eligible for refugee status you MUST call in at the first available port of call under the coventions of the United Nations. These people have passed through numerous ports and did not or, i suspect, deliberately decided not to claim refugee status in those countries. They, like alot who illegally come here are economic immigrants trying to get in the back door. What would their governments do if we illegally entered them

Mr.

Paul Ha - from Ballarat. Vic, 3 years ago

Soft policy of asylum-seekers encourages people smugglers to smuggle people to our nation.We pay money to smugglers and to feed a lot of nongenuine refugees. The genuine refugees and technical imimrants lost thier chance. That's no fair, and destoyed our immigrant policy. This is not benefit for our socity and our people as well.

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