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Najeeba's story

Najeeba Wazefadost
“Leaving your country for good is one of the hardest decisions you can be forced to make.”
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Fact 1

Fact 1
It is not illegal to seek asylum in Australia, even if arriving by boat.

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Farida and Hussain's story

Hussain Dad
“My children are safe and we can finally sleep well for the whole night, without fear and bomb blasts.”
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fact 2

Fact 2
In Australia, there is 1.1 refugee for every 1,000 people.

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John's story

John Jegasothy
“I’m really concerned about the misconceptions about refugees coming to this country.”
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Fact 3

Fact 3
In 2010, 6,879 asylum seekers arrived in Australia. That’s only 6.8% of the seats in the MCG.
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Chaman's story

Chaman Shah Nasiri
“After I left, my father was tortured so badly he died in prison… The same would have happened to me.”
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Fact 4

Fact 4
Australian Centrelink benefits for an asylum seeker? $0.

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Ashane's story

Ashane
“We knew the boat would be very dangerous, but there was nothing else. Everything else was hopeless.”
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Fact 5

Fact 5
The number of refugees who have arrived by boat, and who have been terrorists? Zero.
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Dinh Tran’s story

Dinh Tran
“When we left, mum & dad had already accepted that we were all going to die. You risk everything on a boat.”
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Fact 6

Fact 6
In 2009, 8,427 sought asylum in Australia – compared to 45,197 in the United Kingdom.
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Former Defence chief warns against turning boats back

06/07/2012

Published by ABC News

View the article

The Story Siad

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott insists the turning the boats back will be a core element in his plan to stop asylum seekers trying to make the dangerous journey to Australia. Mr Abbott says the policy of forcing boats back worked under the former Howard government, and it can work again. But retired Admiral Barrie, who was in charge of the Defence Force under the Howard government, says he is not convinced the idea would be effective again. He has warned against trying to force asylum seeker boats to turn back to Indonesia, arguing the policy drives people to take “very desperate measures”. In April 2009, five asylum seekers died in an explosion when someone on board their boat – Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel 36 – deliberately set fire to spilt petrol after the boat was intercepted by a Navy ship. Admiral Barrie says that “What these people are really making clear…. is this is the place they want to come to – they don’t want to go to any other place.” Also responding to dangerous situations at sea eventually takes its toll on Australian sailors.

Did you know

If the reasoning behind ‘stopping the boats’ is a concern for the safety of people on board, then why is there no concern for safety when boats are being forced to make the dangerous journey back to Indonesia? The only real solution to “stop the boats” is working towards long-term human rights improvements in countries wherein asylum seekers experience life-threatening persecution. All countries who have signed the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, have an obligation to provide asylum or refuge to people fleeing persecution. Australia is one of the many countries to sign the declaration, which is why seeking asylum in Australia is legal, even if arriving by boat. A cornerstone of the convention is the principle of non-refoulement, in which a person seeking asylum should not be returned to a country in which that person’s life and freedoms are at serious risk.

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