It was a great post Mick, and you're right of course.
But how many people actually get off their arses and help the homeless? Or the street kids? Or go cuddle an orphan? Or work with the old, lonely and elderley?
Not many, I can assure you.
And yet these groups are used in arguments to support the desire to not help refugees?
Hmmm interdasting.
There's alot wrong with the way we do things in Australia. Funding is off for many groups, there's a long illustrious list of improvements that need to be made. That being said however, there's alot we're also doing right and have made good progress with?
So yes, balance is definitely required. But like I said, some of the smartest brains in this nation can't figure it out? Is it a global humanitarian issue? Is it a red tape issue? Is it a criminal issue? I think you'll find it's a mixture of all of the above.
Those refugee's set fire to Villawood because they felt no one was listening to them.
Villawood has been a migrant detention centre since the 60's Mick. The refurbishment of it (i.e. the inclusions of sporting facilities and extensions to the sleeping facilities was only done in 2009-2010) This is a recent development.
Villawood Immigration Detention Centre Redevelopment
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance) are jointly undertaking a major redevelopment of the Villawood IDC. The provision of $186.7 million to extensively redevelop Villawood was announced by the government as part of the 2009-10 Budget. The redevelopment will include the replacement of the higher security accommodation with a new 90 room 'family' facility and new communal central facilities (kitchen, dining, medical, mental health, education, recreation and sporting facilities). The lower and medium risk accommodation blocks will be substantially replaced.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works (PWC) approved the redevelopment in November 2009, following a public hearing, submissions and stakeholder consultation.
Information on the project's progress is available on a dedicated website.
Prior to that, the very fact that it's called a 'detension' centre is ridiculous. But it has to be, because not only does it accomodate those 'boat people' who are fleeing from their countries, it accomodates people who overstay their visa entitlements, people who fly into the country without the correct visa's and repeat border security offenders and international criminals, who somehow make their way here. So Mum and Dad and kids who fled torture from Afganistan, are seperated, Dad is housed with criminals, Mum is sent to the women's facility with the children, in one room?
The men, who set fire to Villawood, had been seperated from their wives and children in a maximum security wing of the detention centre, because they were from Afganistan and appropriate checks need to be conducted to ensure they're not terrorits?? (There is a limited building for 'families'/mens quarters and women's quarters are seperate - the children are kept with the women) kurfews are imposed and I believe it's 10pm lockdown, just like our prisons.
The men responsible for that fire and there were 3 main offenders, were all from Afganistan and 2 had been held and tortured by different factions in their countries of origin. These men were already broken people, fleeing from their country - and then to be put in a detention centre, in a maximum security wing, where they're seperated from their wives and children and treated like prisoners?
No. It's not right. I'm sorry, but it's not.
Did they have a right to burn the facilities? No, of course they didn't.
But you can't hold people in a prison like facility for years on end and expect them not to go insane, when they have done nothing, but flee to another country, to save themselves and their children?
Our prisoners, murderers, rapists, paedophiles, thieves, serial killers - get 3 square meals a day, television, gym, basketball courts, visits from family, phone calls, free medical treatment, access to social workers, psychologists and education programs IN JAIL. Not to mention, PAID for doing chores around the prison and the entitlement to have porn and cigarettes with the money they earn!
NOT OK!
Refugee's are treated WORSE than murderers in our country. They don't have access to mental health treatment - and believe me, after months stuffed into the bottom of a boat and in consideration of those who truly
are fleeing a bad situation, they need it!
The assessment and processing needs to be swifter. The facilities need to be better. And we need to move out of this 'prisoner' mindset. 70% of people who come into Australia through the incorrect avenues
are legitimate refugee's. So we have 30% who are wroughters of the system, and eventually they get deported.
So because of the 30%, we penalise the 70%? And thats ok?
And these people all wait upwards of 3 years to get processed?
Arrrgggghhhh it sends me mental. Because it's not right.
And it's not fair. And it's not just. And it's not ok. I know this, because I personally have worked with children in Villawood detention centre, I am also responsible for having passages of legislation re-written to accomodate international children with no parents and to find a way to get them assessed quicker. The facility is
not a place where children should be for years on end.
I agree with you completely that we need to look after our own country and those who are suffering here. And the government and our tax dollars already do a hell of alot for these people. The homeless, pensioners, the alone and elderly.
It's why we get stiffed and taxed and re-taxed at every turn. The welfare system in Australia is robbing us of more and more dollars from our own pockets, to feed our own families, every year!
So we support our own. And those who do more, do more. And that's a great thing and should be supported and commended and continue.
What the answer is to the refugee argument, I don't know. I feel for too long, we've had
extremes and not enough middle ground. We can have rules balanced with humantiy. But we need better systems, better processing timeframes, better idea's to be able to cope with and accomodate these people.
As for criminal histories, you wouldn't know what history your neighbour has, or your employer, or your local fruit and veg guy. You wouldn't know what history the man taking your kids Pixie photo's has or the guy who controls the rides at the Ekka and has a joke with your kids on the way through.
No, you won't know. And maybe never will.
I don't think this is a
BILL, it's a proposal by the government as a way to assimilate people into society, because the government at least acknowledges that the way we have been doing it, is not ok. And also acknowledges that the processing timeframe to assess these people, is also not ok.
I don't have the answers I'm afraid.
Everyone of course, is entitled to their opinion
But I think we need to be careful to steer clear of generalisations? Not every boat person, is a criminal. Not every refugee is someone trying to wrought the system. In fact, very few of them actually are.
Would I take refugee's into my home? It depends. I would take children, without parents, for sure - no question. I would take widowed women with children, absolutely. I feel I could help them, show them our beautiful country and give them somewhere safe to stay while they wait for their assessment to be finalised.
Do I help my own community? Yes. I'm a 'cuddle Mum' at the hospital for premature babies,when their parents live far away (i.e. the little baby I last looked after, needed expert care in Brisbane, her parents have 4 other children and they live in Rockhampton, they were only able to visit her once a month) So I go cuddle babies - and that does more for my heart, than it can possibly ever do, to help them.
Sophie and I volunteer at the local soup kitchen once a month, more in the winter months - and we help feed the homeless.
Sophie and I volunteer at the local RSPCA, I get the good fortune of cleaning animal shit out of pen's and cages, while Sophie gets to play with the abused animals on the lawn.
And my great Aunt is 96yo and lives in a nursing home. My cousins and I make a trip out there every three weeks, Sophie dances for the old people and puts on a show with her cousins, I bake, my cousins and I all do something, for all of them. 49 old people in there, very few of them ever get visitors.
So yes, I do my part.
I'd love to adopt children. I'd open my home to as many of them as I could and love them with all my heart.
But I'm a single parent and I'm not allowed to adopt children on my own.
Red tape is painful!
And then there's my job, which is locking away paedophiles and protecting children and youth in Queensland. It's heartbreaking and painful and so very stressful to not to be able to do more!
So I do as much as I can do, with what I have.
But I still believe we can all do better. I still believe our government can do better and more.
And I travelled this incredible planet for 12 years of my life. I consider myself a child of the world and consider every human being in it, the same way. Most of us, who were born here, are the lucky few, to have what we have and live the way we live and have the opportunities that have become an entitelment of our democracy?
We don't know and many people will never know, how very lucky we really are.
I have no issue with sharing our piece of the earth or my home with others...but it's the process that is broken, not the intent.
Epic post, is epic. Faaarrkkkkkkkk