Refugee Action Collective (Vic) – Government to blame for asylum seeker lives lost at sea
Posted by John, June 22nd, 2012 - under Refugee Action Collective (Victoria), Refugees.
The possible loss of life of nearly 100 asylum seekers feared drowned at sea between Australia and Indonesia was entirely preventable. The Refugee Action Collective places the blame for these lives lost with the Australian government and demands people smuggling be decriminalised to prevent any further loss of life.
“Refugees are some of the world’s most vulnerable people. They need our help, not the various stages of torture we put them through to try and stop them from seeking asylum. We should help them arrive here by boat. We should make it safer,” said Benjamin Solah, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Collective (Victoria).
This particular boat and those on it could have been saved days before. Many media reports account for Australian authorities knowing that the boat was in distress well before the boat capsized. Australia’s border security regime should answer for why they watched on as the tragedy unfolded. The Australian Navy should be used to rescue asylum seekers not deter them from entering Australian waters and exercising their basic right to seek asylum.
RAC Victoria also reiterates its demand that people smuggling be decriminalised. The criminalisation of people smuggling, the scuttling (destroying) of boats on arrival and the regime of border protection make the journeys more unsafe than they need to be. We demand the five year mandatory sentences for people smuggling should be scrapped. We also demand that Australia accept more refugees that languish in detention centres in Indonesia and actually meet its quota.
“Whilst both Gillard and Abbott pledge not to play politics after tragedies like these, it is just a cover for the fact that it is policies like ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘turn the boats back’ that will mean more refugees will drown at sea.”
See here http://rac-vic.org/?p=359
Socialist Alternative also blames the Government. They say:
The government could ferry to Australia asylum seekers languishing in Australian-funded detention centres in Indonesia. It could, instead of ramping up the militarisation of borders, invest in a safe transit system between the two countries.
To read more follow this link. http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7369:government-policy-to-blame-for-refugee-deaths&Itemid=453
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Comments
Comment from John
Time June 24, 2012 at 6:09 pm
You repeat the myths of Gillard and Abbott. 6500 aren’t a threat to Australia, or to taxpayers. In fact all forms of immigration produce economic imperatives. At its height under Howard close to 300000 came to Australia each year. Bringing 4000 from Indonesia (as we could do safely on Navy boats or Air Force planes) isn’t a threat at all to a rich country like Australia. It is helping people who are fleeing persecution and war and murder and rape.
Comment from Philip
Time June 23, 2012 at 1:02 am
These people that can afford thousands of dollars for passage are economic refugees. Now in Africa the refugees arrive at camps with usually only the cloths on there back not thousands of dollars and phones to call someone to come and rescue them. How many refugees in the world millions, how many does this Refugee Action Collective expect Australia to take??? Every boat that arrives puts Australian taxpayers one step closer to having there taxes raised or services like pensions etc cut to pay for them. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.