The " Boat People " languishing on Manus Island and Nauru are starting to become an embarrassment to Australia. They were the poor dumb "Bunnies " who were taken in by the people smugglers who told them that Kevin Rudd's promise that they would never be allowed to settle in Australia was a bluff.
There seems no doubt that if the government relented and brought them onto the Australian mainland the people smugglers would again be bringing more of the desperate people waiting in Malaysia and Indonesia to our shores. As a result, the policies issued by the Australian government are intended to deliver different messages - to different people.
Here in Australia we have a very active "Fifth Column " who are urging these refugees to stand firm and reject all offers to return to their homeland or accept transfer to an accepting country. In some cases they have humanitarian motives for giving this advice and for some others it is political warfare to twist the knife into the governments conscience.
The Australian authorities have closed down access to the camps on Nauru and Manus island to try and stifle the activist promoting resistance to any form of settlement, but many of these boat people believe that time is on their side - and eventually pressure from the Australian public will resolve their problem in their favour.
The government is seeking to close off a potential loop hole with its edict that even if these refugees are settled elsewhere and gain citizenship, they will be permanently disbarred from ever entering Australia and have permanent visa refusal, even if the intended visit is for holiday purposes. It sounds draconian - and it is ! They will be lumped together with terrorists and those with a known criminal past.
In some ways this new policy seems to be a desperation measure. These boat people are certainly in an unacceptable form of limbo. The years are rolling by and their children are getting - at best - a rudimentary education, and they are living a type of third world existence. They are human beings who have happened to become the tainted meat in a political sandwich.
The message this policy delivers is intended to draw a line under the Australian fifth columns efforts to promote resistance to resettlement moves. It delivers a form of finality and brings hope that reason will prevail and negotiations with other countries will not be sabotaged.
The people smugglers are eager to resume the huge profits their trade delivered. This new Australian stance will get wide publicity in the media in the countries where refugees are waiting and it is hoped that many will accept that the "Australian door "is now firmly closed - and look elsewhere. It will certainly deal a death blow to the people smugglers lies and promises that things are about to change for the better in Australia.
Unfortunately, permanent visa disqualification will probably make it harder to negotiate resettlement of the people in these camps in other countries. New Zealand had offered to accept a quota, but it is now unlikely to renew that offer. Should a refugee attain New Zealand citizenship it would be untenable to New Zealand pride that such a person be reduced to second class citizenship by such a travel ban.
This move seems a tactical response to try and break a log jam, but it will firstly have to get the nod from the Australian parliament, and be measured against the protocols that exist in International law and under the treaties we have signed with other countries.
Those people on Nauru and Manus island may find no immediate change to their status is likely !
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