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Reader comment on item: [Australia's] Crisis of illegal immigration

Submitted by Dr Jonathan Marshall (Australia), Dec 8, 2005 at 03:41

Mr Pipes article is, of course, entirely correct that treatment of migrants in a fashion such as that of the Tampa crisis has more or less become the norm in many Western states. His take on the crisis does however fails to mention several important aspects.

The Tampa crisis (as it has become known in Australian political discourse) has indeed been retrospectively mobilised as a kind of precursor to fears regarding the spread of specifically Muslim immigrants, esp. since 9/11. This was not however a particularly major factor at the time (Agence France is not an ideal source for Mr Pipes here) and in Australian political discourse, when one discusses issues such as "immigration from the north" there is always a subtext that Indonesians or other Pacific nationalities are at least partially at stake. The memories of WWII and the (apparently) imminent Japanese invasion from the north run deep.

It should also be noted that many of these illegal migrants were later deemed eligible for Temporary Protection visas as escapees of the Afgan wars as well as from Iraq and Iran, and that it was only the fact that they never reached Australian landfall that prevented them from receiving the legitimate protection they are entitled to under Australian and international law. It is also probably worth recalling that at the time and even now there has always been debate as to whether it was legal for the Australian military to intervene, since the crew of the Tampa themselves were simply acting under the rules laid out under international law to provide relief and transport to landfall those who are found to be floudering at sea.

Irrespective of the polls in Australia itself, it should not be believed that opposition to the actions of the Australian government came from outside of the country. On the contrary, the Tampa crisis became the 1st salvo in a series of conflicts which have led to an increasing politicisation and polarisation of issues related to immigration, multiculturalism, Islam in Australia, the invasion of Afganistan, the 2nd Gulf War and the ongoing "War on Terror" as they pertain to the Australian situation.

Perhaps the most significant detail left out of Mr Pipes' account is the later inquiry into the Tampa and related incidents involving the Australian navy blocking vessels attempting to bring undocumented migrants into Australia. Mr Howard and his government very publicly played up an alleged incident in which the boat people were supposed to have threatened to throw their children overboard if the navy did not back off. It has now been positively established that this never happened, and that the boat people in question were rather attempting to escape their foundering vessel. It has also been definitively established (in a later formal enquiry, I should point out) that the held of the navy also knew this to be the case and forwarded this information to the office of the minister. Sadly, no one has been able to actually prove that Howard and his ministers saw this memo, but if they did not and they were not in fact consciously lying in order to manipulate the public, then their conduct in this affair was grossly negligent if not incompetent.

The issue has generated considerable literature since then. Anyone who would like more information on this opening salvo in these debates should consult: Justin Healey, ed., "Refugees and asylum seekers".

Jonathan Marshall, PhD, MA,
Research Fellow,
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts,
Edith Cowan University,
jonathan.marshall@ecu.edu.au
Submitting....

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Reader comments (30) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1UN May Want To Islamicize Europe [66 words]DaveMay 16, 2015 16:08223388
A non integrable demograpgy [22 words]kamisese50Aug 20, 2015 19:18223388
1The reasons why all those Muslim migrants are not heading to Saudi Arabia instead of Europe [85 words]dhimmi no moreMay 16, 2015 11:01223382
3Australia Should Be Emulated [79 words]DaveMay 10, 2015 18:34223297
1Dont want them [162 words]Robert WarburtonJan 12, 2014 03:14212610
How does this relate to justice? [50 words]Maria BinnyFeb 21, 2011 20:14182862
2Send them back [43 words]ThomasSep 17, 2010 08:12178350
For Thomas [17 words]ALISep 29, 2010 04:09178350
1Use your logic [111 words]CossackJul 30, 2010 08:03176164
1Illegal immigrants [62 words]gidgetJul 1, 2010 01:30175032
1Vote No to UN Refugee Agreement [125 words]No MugApr 22, 2011 20:07175032
1Refugee Agreement Needs the Chop [148 words]RobinozDec 31, 2009 00:09166602
A WORLD PROBLEM [314 words]mariaha_13Apr 9, 2009 11:29153639
The same problem is troubling Greece! [209 words]Panagiotis GeorgiadisJun 2, 2009 19:28153639
not our problem [502 words]AshaApr 8, 2009 09:51153577
I'm Impressed with Australia! [285 words]ElenaDec 9, 2007 13:10115964
Ignorant [84 words]RalphOct 16, 2010 23:54115964
thanks [30 words]jessicaMar 27, 2007 02:1788040
Save your country while you still can [273 words]Joe AmericanJul 11, 2006 19:4049449
The political football (backround music by Pink Floyd's "The wall" [100 words]PaulApr 29, 2006 12:1444537
Australia [658 words]Pumpkin pyeFeb 25, 2006 06:5537975
Morality [305 words]John DugganOct 2, 2007 21:3237975
Not quite right. [186 words]Mary ConnorSep 5, 2008 09:0337975
hear hear to John Duggan [234 words]AshaApr 8, 2009 10:0737975
broadening the picture [572 words]Dr Jonathan MarshallDec 8, 2005 03:4129633
Broadening the picture [174 words]S.ThiagarajanAug 24, 2006 19:4529633
Immigration [231 words]WillieOct 29, 2005 06:1227476
Illegal Immigrants [486 words]American IdealistApr 19, 2007 23:1927476
Children [13 words]NicoleJun 5, 2010 00:3427476
Immigration not in our interest, but abetted by both parties [85 words]Marian HenningsJan 7, 2003 12:175545

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