I heard a very interesting idea while listening to talkback radio this morning. A gentleman caled in to offer an idea as to how these so-called "asylum seekers" could be processed much more quickly and proficiently. To explain the idea, I'll start at the beginning of the journey for these people...

Lets say, for arguments' sake, that a husband and wife want to leave Pakistan, for instance. So they'll organise their money and passports and make their way via airlines to Indonesia. Once they've landed at an Indonesian airport, they are photographed and their fingerprints obtained and stored in a database once their passport has been checked. These people then proceed to board a people smuggling boat at some stage and while at sea, destroy everything that can be used to identify them. Once they land at Christmas Island (after having been taken there by our Navy or Customs) the very difficult and time-consuming task of positively identifying these people begins. It is very much hit-and miss.

However, if Gillard had some guts, she would ring her Indonesian counterpart and request access to the Indonesian Customs database. Why? It's simple - when these so-called "asylum seekers" are taken to Christmas Island, they could pass through a checkpoint where their photo would be taken and fingerprints would be obtained. Positive identification could be made within moments. This would lead to swift and decisive action on their claim for asylum and virtually eliminate any doubt as to whether such an application should or should not be approved.

Now, there are some problems, such as whether the Indonesians would permit access to the database by our government and the possibility of these people using fake passports, but I doubt very much that the use of fake passports would be very common at all. As far as Indonesian co-operation is concerned, all that is required is a leader with some guts and the use of a carrot and stick approach. If the Indonesians co-operate, we'll provide more humanitarian aid or something like that. That's the carrot. If the Indonesians refuse to co-operate, we'll cut back our aid or something like that. That's the stick.

I think it's a very worthwhile thing to try and one has to wonder why Gillard hasn't done this already. The technology is in place, and such a system could be up and running within a relatively short period of time at little cost to us. In fact, it may even save us money and might also deter people from making the journey as it would be akin to passing through Customs at Sydney airport!

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jul 25^th, 2012 at 12:25pm:


You mark yourself as among the braindead in the first sentence. No need to read the rest...

AP

these people would then self mutilate ie destroy their finger prints

the lefties would be up in arms to say that Australians are encouraging illegals to self-mutilate

it's the same argument they use for turning back the boats.

facts are - these people have paid $10K for the privilege to board a boat. they will do just about anything to contravene our laws

the whole idea is to make them hesitate in handing over the $10K

Howard got the policy correct

Rudd and Gillard got it wrong so people died!!

I've travelled a bit, although I've never travelled to Indonesia .... do they even take fingerprints? I've never had anybody take my finger prints although I have heard the US does it ..... or does your 'solution' fall apart at the very beginning?

Processing?
The Dept of Immigration takes them at their word which is why the majority throw away their papers and passports.
What processing?
If the government was serious, they would not grant resettlement outcomes to these country shoppers.
Take the magnet away, and watch the issue disappear overnight.

John Smith wrote on Jul 25^th, 2012 at 8:18pm:


...not to mention that some countries they wouldn't get a passport in the first place or applying for one would be asking for the very trouble they are trying to escape. Lets see you pose as a Tamil in Sri Lanka and apply to the Sri Lankan government for a passport. See how far you get.

Honestly, chook, you can do better than that.

Obviously the Leftards don't have any ideas of their own to solve this mess that they and so will just pick on and talk down good ideas in a woeful display of infantile petulance.

John Smith wrote on Jul 25^th, 2012 at 7:05pm:



And what happens when these fake passports and VISAs are discovered at Australian airports?

they are turned around