"...genuine refugees can easily approach any Australian Embassy...

"...genuine refugees can easily approach any Australian Embassy and get the paperwork required for visa status. It's then cheaper and safer to fly than board a smuggling boat...LesPaul"


LesPaul, below is a link and an extract of a paper from the Parliament of Australia, Department of Parliamentary Services regarding "Asylum seekers and refugees: what are the facts?".



Applying for a passport and/or an exit visa can be far too dangerous for some refugees; so too can be an approach to an Australian Embassy for a visa.
These actions can put their lives, and those of their families, at risk.
In such cases refugees may have to travel on forged documents or bypass regular migration channels and arrive without papers.

http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/asylumfacts.pdf