<nettime> The Lonely Antipodean Travelogue

["rcam" <rcollins@netlink.com.au>]

Here, in discussions of xenophobia (and racism generally), the word 'guilt'
is only ever used as a ritualistic prelude to its denial.

I find it difficult not to laugh at assertions that the Government's (and
Ian's) rhetoric of 'queue-jumpers'- constantly paraded before television
cameras and reproduced on radio and in print - is "being constantly
overlooked".  'People-smugglers' - or rather, clandestine travel agents -
are the creation of a prohibition.  The more the border is patrolled, the
more dangerous the travel becomes.   The Government has, in the last day,
sent out more naval ships and planes to interdict vessels carrying would-be
migrants and 'deter' them from Australian waters.   Despite the PM's claims
that "Australia does not sink ships", it is difficult to see how such
'deterrance' might be accomplished otherwise.

Those who wring their hands at the competition between offshore and onshore
asylum seekers might do better to question the system of quotas that creates
this competition.  All the problems associated with clandestine travel, the
filling of onshore and offshore 'places', the billions spent on the
detention, 'deterrence', and interdiction of under 5000 people per year
would not exist were it not for immigration controls.

Given the magnitude of the global movements, there is a stark choice: either
resort to increasingly draconian and lethal border controls or open the
borders - now, there's a thought.  In any case, I doubt my or anyone else's
capacity to stand in judgement over another person's reasons to move.  If
those on the Tampa were tourists, no one would hesitate to ponder the
question of whether or not they ought to be allowed entry.

Angela
_______________

: Before I say anything, let me say that I do sympathise with the plight of
: the "undocumented migrants" and I admire their courage to cross shark and
: pirate infested oceans in small craft. But I do think that this debate has
: become a little blinded by emotional issues which, to some extent, play on
: white middleclass guilt associated with a history of xenophobic policies
: (the White Australia Policy).
: The main issue that is being constantly overlooked is that the "illegal
: refugees" force themselves ahead of others who are patiently waiting in
: refugee camps somewhere. I do not think that it is fair, just because many
: of these people are better off economically (they have enough money to pay
: the "people smugglers"), and that they are ready to risk, not only their
: own lives but those of their children, that their entry into Australia
: should take precedence over others.  On the other hand I do believe that
: anyone whose life is threated by the goverment of their own country,
: because of their, ethnicity, religion, or political leanings, has the
: inalienable right to seek asylum in a neighboring country.  In this regard
: I would not wish to turn back assylum seekers from East Timor, or
: Indonesia, for example. But Afghanistan is not on our borders and the
: refugees would not be placed in any direct danger if they were forced to
: return to their last port of call, be it Indonesia or Malaysia. I don't
: think this attitude is xenophobic. I would gladly accept more Asian people
: in Australia. And if it is true that we don't accept our fair share of
: refugees then that is a problem.  But it IS a seperate issue. The way I
: look at it is that people who buy their way into a country are much like
: people who buy an educational quailfication.  I support people
: who go about
: things in such a way that is fair to everyone else.

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