There is an overriding need to take into account the longer-term effects of any quick decisions on the immigration intake and its composition says Dennis Shanahan ( Australian 16/8). He was writing in the midst of calls to make immigration decisions based on compassionate grounds without thinking of the longer term consequences to the nation.Hiw warning is timely. As an example he refers to the time in the eighties when Labor decided to provide free rein for those escaping the violence in Lebanon at the time. This was a problem initiated by Malcolm Fraser. Hansard from 1983 shows that the then Labor member for Watson in southwest Sydney asked about the low level of Lebanese immigration to Australia in terms of the violence in Lebanon. Leo McLeay asked the then minister for immigration, Stewart West, if it were true the rejection rate for migration from Lebanon was unduly high. The response was that in 1982-83 the acceptance rate for Lebanon was only 11 per cent and the Hawke government had decided to reactivate lapsed measures to expedite family reunions from Lebanon; there would be special consideration for those affected by the fighting and no Lebanese national would be deported for visa breaches. theaustralian.au/opinion/columnists/australia-cannot-afford-a-refugee-policy-based-on-each-new-crisis/story-e6frg75f-1227026108565?sv=833c4825426d3bd2a632cfa514eb6af1
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 05:00:01 +0000
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