Refugee Boat People is Australia's Severest International Challenge
Illegal
immigration is not only Australia’s most severe foreign policy challenge; it is
also a contentions political hot potato within the country. With earlier
policies having failed, the new Tony Abbott government will be hard pressed to
find lasting solution to tackle the issue.
In
the hope of new life, hundreds of asylum seekers from Indonesia, West Papua,
Vietnam and far away countries like Afghanistan, Iran and even India make a
perilous sea journey in rickety unseaworthy boats in a attempt to enter
Australia, illegally.
Their
travel is managed by ‘people smugglers’ who buy old second-hand boats from
fishermen and use it to ferry people, on a one way trip to Australia. People
smugglers charge money promising of safe passage to Australia shores. For
years, people have been using this route to illegally enter Australia.
Subsequent
governments in Australia have attempted a combination of policy strategies and
policing measures to tackle this menace. Such measures have, however, invited
global condemnation due to concerns of human rights abuse.
The
importance of the issue can be gauged from the fact, that the new Australian
Prime Minister Mr Abbott visited Indonesia, as the first country, after
assuming office. With policy experts considering Indonesia as the key source
country for illegal migrants into Australia, the issue of boat people topped
the agenda for discussions between the two countries.
For
years, Mr Abbott has been campaigning for turning boats back to Indonesia and
deporting people to their countries of origin. In line with their strategy, Australian authorities detained 18 Indian asylum
seekers recently, who are likely to be sent back to India.
Indonesia,
on the other hand, argues that the asylum seekers are not its problem. The
Indonesian government has already indicated that it will not accept any
returning boats, despite their country of origin. Similarly, Indonesia objects
the penetration of Australian intelligence network that are paying Indonesian
fisherman for information of refugee boat departures and buying out their old
boats to avoid them from selling it to people smugglers.
The
issue of people smuggling was managed by former Australian Prime Minister John
Howard through a combination of strategy by sending asylum seekers to several detention
centres in Pacific island nations and refusing entry or turning back boats.
These measures led to a drastic drop in boat arrivals. However, under the Labor
governments of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard later, the focus shifted, bringing
the boat people back.
The
Australian government, eventually, stuck a deal with Papua New Guinea (PNG) to
settle all asylum seekers there, even those with genuine reasons. The
Australian policy, however, has not gone down too well among the local PNG
population.
With
earlier policies having failed to find a lasting solution, the Abbott government,
will continue to remain focused on Australian severest foreign policy challenge
- managing illegal immigration into the country.
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