BlueMark said:
It should be noted that over 80% of the aslyum seekers that Howard so successfully vilified back in 2000 were successful in thier applications.
But then as I stated do not let facts get in the way of a good dose of hysteria.
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You are correct but what you and others never mention or may not realise is that the reverse applies when similar applicants ie "afghans" and Iranians apply via the UN detention centres outside of Australia then the failure rate is close to 90% in some centres. This is despite the fact the same conventions are applied. The reason for this according to a Jesuit refugee centre guy I know is that its considered safe for these people to go home from a muslim country like Indonesia but they face real trouble if deported from Australia, thus leaving them more open to persecution. Thus they have a massive incentive to get to Australia.
http://www.hambastegi.org/internationalnews/news043001.htm
The government has secretly decided to order Iraqi Kurds seeking refuge from the war-torn country out of Britain. The Home Office has admitted to an unannounced change of practice' in the way it assesses asylum claims from Iraqi Kurds who say they are fleeing Saddam Hussein and conflict in the region. This has led to a dramatic increase in the refusal rate. In February, the last month for which figures are available, 78% of Iraqi applicants were refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain, compared with 14% in July 2000. The refusals peaked in October when 91.4% of those seeking asylum were ordered out of Britain. (The Guardian (U.K.), April 25, 2001)
We are damn generous with our interpretation of the rules.