And the Abbot Government response to news of the horror? Shoot the messenger.
In case anyone was was thinking, âDidnât This American Life once do a story on this same island nation?â Yes, they did in 2003 with Jack Hitt.
Itâs interesting to see what 12 years has done to them.
Mujtaba, a Shia refugee from Pakistan, told me: âI think Australians deliberately forced us to live under such conditions, so that we would spread the word: donât try to enter Australia illegally, you will go to hell instead.â
Mujtaba is probably correct. In the Bangkok Airport among the other informational and advertising pamphlets made available to travelers are ones from the government of Australia making clear in no uncertain terms, that if you donât have the proper visas to stay in Australia, you will not get in, period and suggest that your experience will not be at all enjoyable.
Undeniably harsh, but I suspect it is somewhat effective.
âDo unto others as you would have them do unto you.â
Iâm guessing about as effective as, say, prohibition.
You could say that about any notorious concentration camp throughout history, I suppose.
Hey, at least the trains run on time.
You got me thinking so I checked:
Unauthorised arrivals to Australia by air and boat 1995-2000
via http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/cfi/1-20/cfi005.html
Which made me think about the effectiveness of concentration camps⌠was that sarcasm? My detector is a bit rusty.
###WHOA HOLY SHIT THATS OUT OF DATE. PROCESSING
More recent but different graph.
From looking at other graphs from different surveys, it appears there was a precipitous drop off of boat arrivals from 2000 to 2005ish where the figure drops to nearly zero then exponentially surges to higher levels than ever before.
Methinks a little creative cooking of the books was going on. Methinks.
Imagine that. Placing all your prisoners on a single island and letting them do as they please. I wonder where they came up with that idea.
This seems interesting, too. I wasnât aware that Australiaâs immigration centres were run by a private business (and one with as bad a rep as Serco). Although Iâm not surprised.
On arriving in Australia, at the immigration desk:
âDo you have a criminal record, sir?â
âI wasnât aware you still needed one!â
Iâm also thinking the powers that be would like to turn many areas of the United States into one, giant prison eventually as wellâŚ
Twas @jsroberts, posted a very moving topic some time back concerning the nightmarish policies of Australian immigration. Itâs a harrowing but ultimately hopeful âinside lookâ at the policies and management of a deliberate hell.
If it was effective, there wouldnât be anybody on Nauru.
Australia is what it is today because exiled people made the most of their new environment.
[quote=âmiasm, post:9, topic:54822â]
Which made me think about the effectiveness of concentration camps⌠was that sarcasm? My detector is a bit rusty.
[/quote]I canât speak for @VPescado, but I was being sardonic.
The island itself is beautiful and lush. It seems like the place could be set up for prolific farming, etc. and a resort to bring in outside money. Why doesnât anyone set that up there instead of this hell hole in paradise?
Then again, I guess the entire point is to make the place as shitty as possible for a punitive deterrent for immigration. So, I guess itâs more of an Aussie immigration issue than anything else?
Notably, arriving in Australia is not illegal.
As an Australian, our extreme right-wing government makes me sick. Theyâre committing crimes against humanity.
Thousands of refugees/asylum-seekers are fleeing terrible situations in their homelands, and instead of offering a humane rescue and a chance at a peaceful re-start at life, our government voids their human rights and throws them into concentration camps.
