Aussie Detention Centres

[Kimbo]

How terrible are the detention centres in Aussie. I don't know a huge amount about them but i know that some people have been there for over 3 years. And the conditions are so terrible that 7 year olds have been sewing there lips together and stuff like that. The centres seem to me (from what i know) like a crime against humanity. And I hear that is the way United Nations saw thme too... except they didnt do anything but say they were terrible. Would help if they put their foot down rather than handing out a slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket.

[lord_of_darkness]

yes no offence to anyone

but what they are doing to those ppl in those detention centres is really really sad

[Top_Cat]

The way I feel about detention centres is thus:

I DON'T like them at all. I can respect the need to process people coming into the country but the current system where some people have been there for 3 years is insane.

I personally think we should be doing everything in our power to help and house these people but if we don't want to do that (which it appears so), process them and get them out of here as quick as possible. The uncertainty of being detained as a criminal (when there's been no international crime comitted........) is a reprehensible practice.

And unfortunately, everything you guys here is true so far.............

[anthonysw]

I agree that many thing need fixing but it is not as bad as it seems.

3 Year processing because they deliberately throw away any personal information they might have to makes things hard.

They get food, medical treatment and basic entertainment like TV and internet.
Opps they do not have TV or internet for a few weeks after they set the rooms on fire.
I believe that is enough for someone who is has arrived illegally.

I have nothing against asylum seekers as long as they are really ppl in need. If I was a true asylum seeker I would be more than happy to wait the 3 years.

I would like a bit of grass for the kids play on though.

[Edited on 7/11/02 by anthonysw]

[anthonysw]

I have a friend from IRAQ that thinks things are the biggest load of crap. The things this guy went though.... He had to leave his own country or he would risk of his own life. After four years of no knowing if his family was even alive he recently got in contact with his brother.

In a neighbouing country he applied though the official avenues to get asylum somewhere. He did not care where he went as long as he go to a safe place where he could make a future for himself. Anyway he got sent to Australia.

These so called asylum seekers pay a great deal of money to book a seat on the boat. This guy had no money and his life was in danger in his own country.

I think Australia is a great place with lots of room for asylum seekers. But they need to be strict so those spots are only given to people that are truly in need.

[Edited on 7/11/02 by anthonysw]

[Shounak]

Don;t detain any more smuggled people, try to extradite those guilty people back to their countries. Those who have gained refugee status should be given their appropriate rights.

Those people that have paid tens of thousands of US dollars to bypass the Australian legal system to gain entry into the country (queue jumpers) should be sent right back. I realise it isn't that simple, but the government should make the process a lot quicker, easier and painless.

[C_C]

Not unexpected really.
Australia has always had a historic foreign policy marginalising non-whites.
During WWII, there were several Australians of Chinese descendance who put plaques saying 'Chinese, not Japanese' around their necks...i have never heard of any white dude in Australia putting on a plaque during WWII saying 'English, not German'.
Same with America.

[andyc]

Maybe you could just dig a big hole that we could throw them in, shounak

[andyc]

You know, this is very freaky cause I'm doing some religion report on child refugees.

[Shounak]

Maybe you could just dig a big hole that we could throw them in, shounak

Hahahah OT's heaps of fun. I never realised that an internet forum could be a source of humour, and people who actually know stuff.

[Shounak]

Not unexpected really.
Australia has always had a historic foreign policy marginalising non-whites.
During WWII, there were several Australians of Chinese descendance who put plaques saying 'Chinese, not Japanese' around their necks...i have never heard of any white dude in Australia putting on a plaque during WWII saying 'English, not German'.
Same with America.

There were hardly any Asians about during WWII, the distinctions only become easy to make once the numbers increase. Back then I probably would know the difference between the names Chong, Nguyen and Kim. I'd probably assume they were all Chinese. That's not the case in Australia anymore. But it's merely do to ignorance.

Where are you from btw? World is hardly informative.

[andyc]

Hahahah OT's heaps of fun. I never realised that an internet forum could be a source of humour, and people who actually know stuff.

Well, one out of two isn't so bad.

[C_C]

There were hardly any Asians about during WWII, the distinctions only become easy to make once the numbers increase. Back then I probably would know the difference between the names Chong, Nguyen and Kim. I'd probably assume they were all Chinese. That's not the case in Australia anymore. But it's merely do to ignorance.

Where are you from btw? World is hardly informative.

'i didnt know' is never a valid excuse. You can come from Afghanistan and have a suitcase full of hashish in your luggage and 'i didnt know' wont save you when you are standing at JFK.
The point is, Australian government has historically discriminated against people from non-white nations and today, it is no different.

btw, i am from Canada. Vancouver, Canada, to be more exact.

[Shounak]

'i didnt know' is never a valid excuse. You can come from Afghanistan and have a suitcase full of hashish in your luggage and 'i didnt know' wont save you when you are standing at JFK.
The point is, Australian government has historically discriminated against people from non-white nations and today, it is no different.

btw, i am from Canada. Vancouver, Canada, to be more exact.

Whether or not that is the case is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. WRT detention centres. The people that enter a country illegally, have committed a crime. Which they should be punished for. The most apt punishment is extradition, and let their country decide what to do with them. That's a blanket rule that I think should apply, regardless of colour.

My only exception is if they are granted refugee status and are genuine refugees.

[Dasa]

I DON'T like them at all. I can respect the need to process people coming into the country but the current system where some people have been there for 3 years is insane.

I personally think we should be doing everything in our power to help and house these people but if we don't want to do that (which it appears so), process them and get them out of here as quick as possible. The uncertainty of being detained as a criminal (when there's been no international crime comitted........) is a reprehensible practice.

And unfortunately, everything you guys here is true so far.............

That post may be 3 years old, but everything there is still (unfortunately) applicable and I agree with it completely.

Whether or not that is the case is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. WRT detention centres. The people that enter a country illegally, have committed a crime. Which they should be punished for. The most apt punishment is extradition, and let their country decide what to do with them. That's a blanket rule that I think should apply, regardless of colour.

Oh come on. This sort of attitude really gets to me. It's not as simple as "people have committed a crime, let's get rid of them" - firstly these are people trying to make a better life! Secondly, most of these refugees/illegal immigrants/whatever are coming from nations that are dirt poor. They're not going to take them back happily are they? Looking at the bigger picture, it is the responsibility of the wealthier nations to at least TRY to fix some of the problems they've created with actions in the past. Sending people back to countries already suffering immensely is short-sighted and doesn't help anyone.

Who cares if they've paid someone thousands of dollars to get here, as a prosperous nation that, like all Western nations has profited from the misfortune of other nations, there is in my opinion a duty on the behalf of the country to take in reasonable numbers of immigrants, whether they be refugees of war or economic migrants. It's not as if the country is collapsing under the burden of millions of immigrants - the amount of people taken in each year is a drop in the ocean compared to how many Australia can support.

It is a fact that Australia can easily support a much larger population - despite whatever people may tell you with regard to water shortages and the like. All it takes is sustainable development and investment where it matters. Unfortunately, most governments are too short-sighted to change the mindset of a nation. Indeed, most governments are more concerned with tapping into a xenophobic undercurrent in Australian society to bother about treating immigrants well.