Archive for November 1st, 2009
Fake refugees on Oceanic Viking
The news that the Tamil refugees on the Oceanic Viking have been living in Indonesia for up to five years destroys their claim of refugee status and Australia must not accept them.
Refugees are not “tourists”. Refugees are seeking a safer place than their own country. Having found safe haven in Indonesia, arriving by ‘normal’ means and registered with the Indonesian government as refugees, they do not have the right to select their country of destination. That makes them tourists.
Australia cannot accept these refugees on humanitarian grounds – they should apply to migrate through the normal channels.
