Our government justifies the detention of unauthorised maritime arrivals, on the premise that doing so protects national security and prevents their deaths (at sea). If we process them, many find themselves rejected and forced back to war-torn homelands... defeating the whole point. According the the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which Australia has signed: No Contracting State shall expel or return (refouler) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social or political opinion This article dates back to 2008, but the point stands... were sending these people back to die, were not saving them, and that is not okay.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:03:55 +0000