To think Australia have really gone and done it now?? Shocked and disgusted.

[NeoMaxiZoomDweebie]

Australia have removed themselves from the UN Refugee Convention.

here...this happened only today

They've basically decided that ANY refugee coming to Australia on a boat will now be "processed" on one of their offshore facilities....like Manus Island where there have been numerous suicide attempts and conditions are DREADFUl with people slepeing in places with no doors or in metal storage containers...this is in HIGH heat.

I am shocked. And disappointed... we are talking about refugees here. People already traumatised and lost. The places they're being sent to now are already under investigation for their disgusting conditions.

Zoo for me the main issue here is the way the refugees are being treated offshore. It's beyond me...truly shocking. I agree that in an ideal world, all refugees would apply properly...but really...how realistic is that hope? Not very when you consider what these people are leaving behind.

That's what I meant Neo. That you weren't saying that they had actually left the Convention.

Refugees are treated appallingly in lots of countries. Why are you focussing so much on Australia?

Yes it awful and it shouldn't happen. Yes lots should be done to correct it and people should be given their basic human rights. There is no excuse. But are you going to pick on any other countries and their horrendous treatment of refugees?

Is it because Australia is majority white so you won't be accused of racism by picking on them?

Imip I think it's the Treaty of Waitangi of 1840 (so quite some time after settlement), which was created/allowed mostly because the NZ Maoris are very different to the Aus Aborigines.

Spahettio because my children are haolf Australian and my DH is Australian. Did you read the thread? It is relevant to me...oh and because this news is fresh today possibly???!

Why is it unreasonable to vet people before they can enter a country. That country still has a responsibility to the people who already live there.

Keeping people in crates in hot weather is not vetting them Fleur.

Yes, I understand that - you have mentioned it a couple of times.

But you seem soooo angry at Australia. Are you angry at other countries? Do you get why Australian on this thread are getting annoyed at your sweeping generalisations?

Keeping them in tents in African war-torn countries is also not acceptable. But sometimes emergency housing is necessary when a count is being inundated with refugees.

No I am happy to argue but you left out the chanm.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/jul/30/eritrea-refugee-squat-calaise of any reasonable discussion when you wrote off an entire nation.

How can you bear to be married to such a disgusting racist?

I remember a Guardian article on the conditions in Calais camps, should I extrapolate from that that tge UK is racist and doesn't care about those refugees.

God we need a republic.

I am angry yes Spaghettio. Only a fool or a racist would not be.

That country still has a responsibility to the people who already live there that struck me as so very ironic

it's a disgusting attitude to the most vulnerable human beings (their change of policy not the above comment!)

Yes it is vetting them. This is emergency housing (as said above). These refugees still have to be vetted and processed before being considered to be allowed into the country. Its never going to be brilliant housing is it under the cirumstances.

Emergency?? There has been a detention centre there for YEARS! Why have they not put decent accommodation in place?

Even though you are keen to push forward you Australian family, you've (almost single handedly) managed to piss off all of the Australians on this thread.

Although I agree with your points about refugees being entitled to basic human rights, you've gone about this the wrong way. Tarring the whole country and it's population with one brush (which is what you said you were worried about for your family's sake) is not the way to start a debate.

I'm going to bed now, before I get called a redneck again.

Well Im glad that they vet refugees and immigrants. UK could do with more stringent rules for vetting people wanting to gain entry to the country to prevent what has happened ie. the loss of cultural identity due to the high influx of immigrants illegal and legal. British people are not allowed to have their traditions and ceremonies ie Christmas and easter because of the high level of peoples from other cultures. Surely preserving your own traditions is important and that peoples from other cultures should integrate rather than expect everything to change for them.

Saying you have an Aussie family in tgis instance is like saying something horribly racist and then saying 'I have lots of black friends', oh well that is OK then...

I live in Australia and am Australian. I didn't hear about this at all. I agree it is unfortunate for genuine refugees. The problem is that for some time we've had organized crime gangs running boats from Indonesia/Sri Lanka etc who take mainly economic migrants who can cough up tens of thousands of dollars for their passage. Most genuine refugees never get a look in when it comes to these gangs. Not a few of these who come via this way have been found to have a serious criminal history ( not just petty theft like many of our forbears), many involved with war crimes, in their countries of origin. I doubt we will stop taking refugees applying through other channels (eg refugee camps in Africa) though.

Yes Mimishimi there are usually real reasons why these rules regarding refugees are put in place as you have mentioned...ie..the gangs and persons with dubious pasts. Not all persons seeking asylum are genuine and refugees still need to be assessed before they can enter the country for these reasons.

Well the attitudes of the Aussies on here are defensive aren't they? That's not encouraging but not surprising sadly.

British people are not allowed to have their traditions and ceremonies ie Christmas and easter because of the high level of peoples from other cultures

This is actually bullshit, do you really believe this?

I agree with others here that it is wrong to make generalisations about a whole nations people, but whenever this comes up [as it often does on any australia related threads] people will 1.blame Britain for their countries shit. 2. bring up current 'bad' British situations as if that somehow detracts from it.

Both of the above always come across as strange to me.

I would and do protest about things, bad things being done by the government in Britain today, even if they don't affect me.

Is the average [not racist] australian protesting about this issue? if not, why not?

Because unless people do protest, then it will appear to the outside world that it is something that the average australian agrees with and it will reinforce the widely held opinion that most australians are racist.

Why would it be surprising for people under attack to go on the defense?

But it is true. There are many areas in inner cities and suburbs around that are not allowed to have their "Christmas" celebrations or "Easter" etc because the school has pupils who are other nationalities. It is not bullshit.

Cote I am attacking the government. Surely that's obvious?