Australia is at the mercy of the people smugglers is it ? That comment is very emotive and not much else. For the past few years every boat has been apprehended before it got here, the smugglers have been charged and dealt with by the courts, their boats have been confiscated and destroyed. The refugees on board have been detained for processing and many have been offered assistance to return to the countries they fled because conditions there have recently changed for the better.
By no stretch of the imagination is Australia at the mercy of people smugglers.
