Causes for Refugee Movements: Political Interference

ABC news last week had brought our attention to the 28,000 un-processed asylum seekers currently languishing in the community [#3]. These asylum seekers arrived by boat since 2008-2013 under the Labor government. The politicians from both sides, as usual, throw blame upon each other -- too common an occurrence nowadays.

When looking at the statistics ([#1] see under table heading "Onshore asylum applications"), we can clearly see that the boat arrival (IMA) started to increase in 2008 under Rudd Labor Government. The IMA number had spiked on 2012-2013 with 18,365. This is a reminder to us that the Labor Government had tried to implement plans, i.e. repealing TPV, removing Offshore Detention etc.., in accordance with Australia's human rights obligations.

The failure this Labor government plan for humane treatment to refugees, in no doubt, is attributed to the eventual increase of boat arrivals. We've got to analyze, then, what are other external factor for the increase of boat arrivals. First and foremost, we can look at whether there are political interference as regards to the boat arrivals. In this regards, I referred a fine text being exposed in the Robert Manne's article [#2]:

"In private, there was delight as evidence mounted about the Rudd government’s fateful miscalculation of 2008. As a WikiLeaks State Department cable revealed, in November 2009 a key Liberal Party strategist told the American ambassador that the more boats arrived, the happier his party would be. Shortly afterwards, Tony Abbott won the leadership of the Liberal Party."

I still cannot find that crucial email from the WikiLeaks site; if anyone can find it, please post it so that we all can examine the context with which these words were being said.

In Solidarity, U Ne Oo, Sydney.

[#1] http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliam...

[#2] https://www.themonthly.com.au/australia-s-shipwrecked-refugee-policy-tra...

[#3] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-12/government-confirms-over-28000-asy...

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