Many think turning back the boats is an inhumane choice but they forget that there are international smuggling networks set up to entice vulnerable people with false promises of jobs, safe journeys and idyllic lifestyles. Too often migrants are given loans with exorbitant interest rates that ultimately enslave them in their destination country (yes there are slaves in Australia - we are a major destination country for human trafficking) and rob them of their dignity and human rights. Those that pay in full or up front, travel in inhumane conditions and run the risk of being abandoned at sea by smugglers who have no further use for them. Stopping the boats is not an easy decision but it is vital in the larger scheme of things if sophisticated organised crime (as in smuggling and trafficking) networks are to be stopped. They are experts at finding loopholes in legislation and immigration policies and sadly highly successful at what they do.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 00:52:47 +0000