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The Current Plight of Boat People To Australia
- By Bobby Castro
- Published 12/26/2011
- Destinations
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Bobby Castro
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The Current Plight of Boat People To Australia
The term "boat people" entered the Aussie consciousness in the 1970s as IndoChinese refugees escaped the ravages of communism during the onslaught of the Vietnam War. While many traveled to nearby Southeast Asian countries, many more traveled great distances to start anew in Australia.
The first boat from Vietnam arrived in April of 1976 with a passenger list of five IndoChinese men. These first travelers were soon followed by over two thousand boat arrivals with the wave ending in August of 1981. The second wave of boat people arrived as 27 IndoChinese asylum seekers entered Australian waters in November of 1989. This second wave lasted for nine years and there were at least 300 asylum hopefuls from Cambodia, southern China and Vietnam. A third wave soon followed commencing in 1999 when people of Middle Eastern descent began to arrive in great numbers to Australia.
The third wave of boat people has caught the most issues with current Australian immigration authorities. The first two waves were responded to in compliance with existing international laws on refugees, as there were clear ongoing conflicts in their country of origin. The last few arrivals, since 1999, there have been greater issues in the proof of conflict and refugee status. There have also been reports that criminal elements have used this method to smuggle people into the country, amongst other items such as drugs and other contraband.
The last few governments, primarily the Labor government, have explored other options regarding the processing and acceptance of boat people to the country. At the beginning, the common process was to detain individuals without the proper immigration documentation in Australia. Recent backlash and decisions by the Australian High Tribunal determined that detention, especially for long periods of time, is violative of the individual's rights. In another vein, the option was to take the processing of boat people offshore, but this was met with issues both within Australia and the possible processing center of East Timor.
As can be seen, how Australia handles boat people coming to its shores is still a work in progress. While there has been headway in the processing, review and determination of applicability of refugee status of the individual, the sheer volume of arrivals have placed the issue squarely at the forefront of political discussions. What the future brings is still a matter of debate and discussion. Until the same has been resolved, many refugee hopefuls remain incarcerated awaiting their freedom after their flight.
The first boat from Vietnam arrived in April of 1976 with a passenger list of five IndoChinese men. These first travelers were soon followed by over two thousand boat arrivals with the wave ending in August of 1981. The second wave of boat people arrived as 27 IndoChinese asylum seekers entered Australian waters in November of 1989. This second wave lasted for nine years and there were at least 300 asylum hopefuls from Cambodia, southern China and Vietnam. A third wave soon followed commencing in 1999 when people of Middle Eastern descent began to arrive in great numbers to Australia.
The third wave of boat people has caught the most issues with current Australian immigration authorities. The first two waves were responded to in compliance with existing international laws on refugees, as there were clear ongoing conflicts in their country of origin. The last few arrivals, since 1999, there have been greater issues in the proof of conflict and refugee status. There have also been reports that criminal elements have used this method to smuggle people into the country, amongst other items such as drugs and other contraband.
The last few governments, primarily the Labor government, have explored other options regarding the processing and acceptance of boat people to the country. At the beginning, the common process was to detain individuals without the proper immigration documentation in Australia. Recent backlash and decisions by the Australian High Tribunal determined that detention, especially for long periods of time, is violative of the individual's rights. In another vein, the option was to take the processing of boat people offshore, but this was met with issues both within Australia and the possible processing center of East Timor.
As can be seen, how Australia handles boat people coming to its shores is still a work in progress. While there has been headway in the processing, review and determination of applicability of refugee status of the individual, the sheer volume of arrivals have placed the issue squarely at the forefront of political discussions. What the future brings is still a matter of debate and discussion. Until the same has been resolved, many refugee hopefuls remain incarcerated awaiting their freedom after their flight.