Reply to thread

First, they do not own the boat. They paid people smugglers to be on that boat. They know they could die on it but decided, for some reason, that it's worth the risk. Maybe it's their only way out.

Second, they're not asking to be ahead of anyone's queue. Just asking to be on that queue. Any gov't can interview, review, check, do that extreme vetting... and if it's decided that they're just economic migrants, they get sent back.

Problem is, the majority of those boat people were found to be genuine refugees. Just we don't give a crap. So we make deal with the US, do an exchange for those we've [ok, Labor] have let in.

But fear not, our border force has been ordered to not ask questions about safety, seeking asylum, claims blah blah. Just point the guns to their heads and point them where they better head back to.

And all us Aussies get to feel good and secure because we're a bit richer by not having to pay billions to private prison contractors to have to lock them up offshore. Oh wait...