Sunday, October 7, 2012

Moral Diremma in Asylum Seeker Issue

A Sri Lankan man who was found by ASIO the Australia's top spy agency to be a national security threat was judged by High Court of Australia to be "No Threat to Australia" and gained the right for his visa to be reassessed.

It was last year that the federal government's Malaysia deal was rejected by High Court. This is another blow to the government's border protection policy.
High Court's ethical judgment is not always in line with Australia's national or public interests. It's not like Australia do not have sympathy for refugees. It's just that the High Court decision could encourage more people to seek refuge in Australia.

The public welfare's already costing Australians a lot of tax money, which is a hot issue.
Besides, the most affected are the lower middle income earners, not the low income families who can receive financial support from the government and access to affordable community housing.

Consideration of the ethical aspects of border protection could lead to accepting more refugees, which will inevitably cost Australia more money and welfare fund which its own people need.
Yet, if the government decides to cut down the welfare fund for the refugees, it could result in an increase in crime rate, but not their employment rate.

Hypothetically speaking, what will happen if every poor people from Afganistan or Sri Lanka start seeking refuge in Australia?
Could High Court still judge against so-called "unethical" asylum seeker policy?
It is harsh not to let them into Australia because it's too dangerous to deport them back to their home countries. AND It is harsh not to provide them with financial support to settle in Australia, because they cannot possibly survive in Australia without it.
In all fairness, once refugees arrive in Australia, they have to be treated equally. They have to be entitled to the same welfare support, but if there are too many refugees to support, how could many struggling Australian families support themselves?...and that's where public sympathy ends.

If their countries of origin transform into safe places to live, none of this would happen.
Coming to Australia would become a choice rather than eminent escape from danger
- and when is it going to happen?
How many more refugees going to arrive in Australia before the positive change takes place in their home countries?
The dilemma is, it might never happen.

One can only hope.
For the refugees and also for Australians.

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