Asylum seekers freed after 4 years
In yesterday’s newspaper, there was an article that stated that 25 men, from various countries were flown to Melbourne, and freed from the Nauru detention center. There were concerns of these mens’ mental health status’ so the DIMIA decided to set them free. The Nauru center was set up in 2001, to process illegal boat arrivals. It doesn’t say how all of these men were sent to the detention center, but my guess is that they tried to smuggle their way into the country by boat and were caught.
In one aspect, I couldn’t imagine myself being able to survive in a detention center for that long. But in retrospect, this situation (among others) makes me wonder why the government kept them in there for as long as they did. Out of the 25 people, 13 have been given refugee status, and 12 were given other forms of humanitarian protection. Now that they have been released, they will be staying in a hotel, at the public’s expense until they are able to be resettled somewhere. The article also stated that immigration detention state director declined to apologize to the group for their 4 years in detention. Umm, why should immigration be apologizing? They are not the ones who tried to come to Australia illegally.
I don’t know what the background is of these individuals, but it angers me and annoys me, that people who come on boats and “seek asylum” are able to stay in the country. Sure, they have a long road ahead of them, and end up staying in detention centers, but they have this idea that if they are able to get into the country illegally, they’ll be able to stay. But then you see someone like ME, who did everything by the book, and just happened to be illegal without knowing, and now I may end up not being able to stay. It seems like if you do everything by the book, the government is going to make you work harder, than if you just seek refugee status. Just how many of these people are legitimiate? Some people say that they can’t go back to their homeland because their country is constantly at war. Their government has been overthrown. Some people go as far to say they’re from a different country, just so they can get refugee status. I know that I come from a very powerful nation, but why should someone else get presidence over my case, just because their country is at odds with other people? These people were living in their country, they were surviving…so why does it take, coming over on a boat illegally, to get them to stay?
I know every situation is different, but it just angers me that people do things illegally, and they’re still able to stay. Even though these gentlemen were at a detention center for 4 years, that is the chance they had to have taken when they decided to try and come to Australia illegally. They KNOWINGLY came to Australia, with intentions of staying illegally. So 4 years later the government decides “yeh, okay?” Plus these people, just how fluent in English are they? Do they have what it takes to be able to survive here in Australia? I overstayed my visa by 67 days, and it wasn’t because I wanted to stay illegally. If I had known that I was illegal earlier, I would have hired an immigration lawyer or something to try and work things out. But I “assumed” I was legal based on what was told by me by DIMIA officials. I know I can’t go back and change my unlawful status, but I just hope that the government has a little heart and realizes all of this. They are lenient more toward people who seek refugee status, than someone who has credentials and speaks fluent English. What hurts the most, is the fact that I thought I was doing everything the right way. I thought I was doing everything legally, and now I may get punished. But then you have people who, from the get go, do everything illegally, and they eventually get to stay.
I have mixed feelings about detention centers. You hear news stories about people who try to commit suicide while in the detention centers. I don’t know what the conditions are, but I could imagine it’d be just like in prison. But it shouldn’t be a luxury should it? These people who are in detention centers broke the law, they knowingly tried to get into the country illegally. Why should they be given the “okay” when there are hundreds of people who migrate to Australia the LEGAL way? Sure it takes money, but everyone should have to do it the right way. I think if people try to do the right way, and end up stuffing up (like myself) they should get some leniency. But if they knowingly try to smuggle themselves into the country, they should be forcibly removed from the country. They need to find a way to get to Australia legally, just like all the other people. There is a way, but doing it illegally isn’t going to get you anywhere. Well, after 4 years, I guess it did for those 25 people.
-current mood-PEEVED off
In one aspect, I couldn’t imagine myself being able to survive in a detention center for that long. But in retrospect, this situation (among others) makes me wonder why the government kept them in there for as long as they did. Out of the 25 people, 13 have been given refugee status, and 12 were given other forms of humanitarian protection. Now that they have been released, they will be staying in a hotel, at the public’s expense until they are able to be resettled somewhere. The article also stated that immigration detention state director declined to apologize to the group for their 4 years in detention. Umm, why should immigration be apologizing? They are not the ones who tried to come to Australia illegally.
I don’t know what the background is of these individuals, but it angers me and annoys me, that people who come on boats and “seek asylum” are able to stay in the country. Sure, they have a long road ahead of them, and end up staying in detention centers, but they have this idea that if they are able to get into the country illegally, they’ll be able to stay. But then you see someone like ME, who did everything by the book, and just happened to be illegal without knowing, and now I may end up not being able to stay. It seems like if you do everything by the book, the government is going to make you work harder, than if you just seek refugee status. Just how many of these people are legitimiate? Some people say that they can’t go back to their homeland because their country is constantly at war. Their government has been overthrown. Some people go as far to say they’re from a different country, just so they can get refugee status. I know that I come from a very powerful nation, but why should someone else get presidence over my case, just because their country is at odds with other people? These people were living in their country, they were surviving…so why does it take, coming over on a boat illegally, to get them to stay?
I know every situation is different, but it just angers me that people do things illegally, and they’re still able to stay. Even though these gentlemen were at a detention center for 4 years, that is the chance they had to have taken when they decided to try and come to Australia illegally. They KNOWINGLY came to Australia, with intentions of staying illegally. So 4 years later the government decides “yeh, okay?” Plus these people, just how fluent in English are they? Do they have what it takes to be able to survive here in Australia? I overstayed my visa by 67 days, and it wasn’t because I wanted to stay illegally. If I had known that I was illegal earlier, I would have hired an immigration lawyer or something to try and work things out. But I “assumed” I was legal based on what was told by me by DIMIA officials. I know I can’t go back and change my unlawful status, but I just hope that the government has a little heart and realizes all of this. They are lenient more toward people who seek refugee status, than someone who has credentials and speaks fluent English. What hurts the most, is the fact that I thought I was doing everything the right way. I thought I was doing everything legally, and now I may get punished. But then you have people who, from the get go, do everything illegally, and they eventually get to stay.
I have mixed feelings about detention centers. You hear news stories about people who try to commit suicide while in the detention centers. I don’t know what the conditions are, but I could imagine it’d be just like in prison. But it shouldn’t be a luxury should it? These people who are in detention centers broke the law, they knowingly tried to get into the country illegally. Why should they be given the “okay” when there are hundreds of people who migrate to Australia the LEGAL way? Sure it takes money, but everyone should have to do it the right way. I think if people try to do the right way, and end up stuffing up (like myself) they should get some leniency. But if they knowingly try to smuggle themselves into the country, they should be forcibly removed from the country. They need to find a way to get to Australia legally, just like all the other people. There is a way, but doing it illegally isn’t going to get you anywhere. Well, after 4 years, I guess it did for those 25 people.
-current mood-PEEVED off
posted by Gaylicious© at Friday, November 04, 2005
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