Now we're the "holiday" destination of the century! Except it's a permanent holiday for most.
I keep repeating meyself, but how decent Aussie/Sri Lankan families, who've worked and paid taxes for decades, living peaceful, contributive and productive lives here for decades since emigrating soon after WW2, (and other nationalities similarly I suppose) are forced to place a $20,000 bond, just for Grandma, Auntie, or other relatives to come "out here" for a short family visit for weddings, deaths, birthdays, and other occasions, or just a holiday, plus having to provide financial, accomodation, AND private health insuruance cover for the visitor during the visit, whilst these unknowns just blithely sail in here with unknown histories,is an absolute scandal.
Even, in some instances, the Sri Lankan elderly, with few relatives left to love and support them at home, cannot ever hope to re-unite with their families here, no matter that their families are willing to support, accomodate, and finance them for the rest of their lives. These people do NOT put their people in nursing homes.
A British friend could not get his brother and his family out here, even though he was gainfully employed.
Why is it that someone jumping on a boat, who has destroyed their papers deliberately, engenders immediate deep compassion and receives every degree of help and sympathy from churches, Greens, and other bleeding hearts, whilst other families, who are now Australian, far more deserving, and honorable, and willing to work very hard, are discriminated against like this by the immigration department?
How many boat people are ever able to be detected as not being what they purport themselves to be, and sent home?
Yet Australian Sri Lankans have to scrounge and scrape up $20,000 bonds in the case of their relatives just wanting to visit. This bond is no -refundable should the agreed departure date requirement not be met.
As a majority of boat people, we must assume, are Muslim, looking at the societies they have come from, how willing are they (or at least their menfolk) to try hard to get a job, work hard, and keep holding down an honest job. Or is their main aim to live on welfare forever?
After all, in many Muslim communities abroad, the men seem content to sit around being idle,and the women are not to be seen at all. What do they actually produce towards their countries' financial betterment in the fields of industry and manufacture? This is not a racist comment, just a fact of life. It is a highly patriarchal world, the men rule the roost, and there is NO softening influence from the women. And seemingly, no ambition with regard to the men.
As Howard rightly said - WE should have the right to choose who shall come to this country. But it seems, we, it's citizens, are now seeing those rights disappearing fast. And worse, being classed as bigots and rednecks should we raise an opposing voice.
