In the Australian election contest both parties use the refugee issue to garner votes. The asylum seekers or so called boat people have become the chosen bogeymen of both parties. Though Australia is a nation of "boat people", both main parties have demonised refugees and asylum seekers. Men, women and children are indefinitely detained in offshore prisons such as impoverished Papua New Guinea, whose government has been suitably bribed.
According to the latest figures from UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, 45.2 million people were in situations of displacement at the end of last year, including 15.4 million refugees, 937,000 asylum seekers, and 28.8 million people forced to flee within the borders of their own countries.
During 2012, some 7.6 million people became newly displaced, including 1.1 million crossing borders as refugees and 6.5 million as internally displaced people. This translates to more than 20,000 people around the world forced to flee their homes every single day - and this does not include the latest waves of millions of Syrians.
Put in an Australian context, 4,000 more people around the world become displaced on any given day than arrive as asylum seekers on our shores in an entire year. That is the true extent of its politically manufactured "boat people crisis". In the politics of perception, the facts have no place. Australia’s politicians talk about our "porous borders", appealing to our basest nature on a question that won't make one iota of difference to the quality of the average Australian's life. It is deeply ironic that Australia should be so intolerant and hysterical about newcomers.
Adapted from here
According to the latest figures from UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency, 45.2 million people were in situations of displacement at the end of last year, including 15.4 million refugees, 937,000 asylum seekers, and 28.8 million people forced to flee within the borders of their own countries.
During 2012, some 7.6 million people became newly displaced, including 1.1 million crossing borders as refugees and 6.5 million as internally displaced people. This translates to more than 20,000 people around the world forced to flee their homes every single day - and this does not include the latest waves of millions of Syrians.
Put in an Australian context, 4,000 more people around the world become displaced on any given day than arrive as asylum seekers on our shores in an entire year. That is the true extent of its politically manufactured "boat people crisis". In the politics of perception, the facts have no place. Australia’s politicians talk about our "porous borders", appealing to our basest nature on a question that won't make one iota of difference to the quality of the average Australian's life. It is deeply ironic that Australia should be so intolerant and hysterical about newcomers.
Adapted from here
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