Asylum Seekers

The issue of asylum seekers polarise a community like few other issues. The majority of people, at least in Australia, most of Europe and the USA, have little sympathy with them. A vocal minority feel that helping people who seek asylum is a sign of compassion. There is also the view that the rich countries have an obligation to help the poor. Equalising of the rich and poor is a socialist policy.

Australia has a policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers. The policy is designed to prevent a situation such as exists in the UK where asylum seekers are allowed into the community whilst their status is investigated. If their asylum is turned down, in around 60% of cases the seekers disappear into the community. (These figures were obtained from Eryl McNally MEP for the East of England - a Socialist MEP). Many who are unsuccessful the first time reapply under a different name. A BBC report estimated that at least 50% who failed to achieve refugee status attempt this each time, and some may try three or more times.

A group of seekers who are to be sent back to Afghanistan from mandatory detention are protesting by hunger striking and sewing their lips together. They feel they have nothing to lose - and they have an outspoken group of supporters. There are a number of reasons why I don't have much sympathy with these people. I've mentioned before that this sympathy is not driven by compassion, but at best by guilt and a selfish desire to 'feel good'. At worst, it is a cynical manipulation of people to support a socialist agenda.

When questioned many of those who support asylum seekers will profess that they don't agree with any limitations on immigration into Australia. This is understandable as otherwise the asylum seekers would have to meet certain criteria, and the aforementioned problems of asylum seekers disappearing into the community then have to be addressed, assuming some degree of fairness is going to be attempted.

If we were to allow unlimited migration then lets look at the likely consequences. Just looking at a few Muslim countries:

Bangladesh (population 138 million)
Pakistan (population 153 Million)
Iraq (population around 22 million)
Iran (population around 70 million)
Afghanistan (population unknown accurately but probably around 25 million)
Indonesia (population 218 million)
Malaysia (population 24 million)

That's a total population of over 650 million. And that's without China, India or Africa. Lets say that 1% of the population would migrate given the opportunity (and that's probably a conservative estimate, especially when you consider that once there is a community here they bring other relatives out to join them). This would be a population increase into Australia of around 6.5 million people. Assuming that the infrastructure could withstand this (and this is a big assumption), it is conceivable that a majority elected parliament could vote for Islamic Sharia law. I wonder how the socialists would view that.