My letter to the editor @TheWest was never going to get a guernsey given it was critical of the media. But it puts the "refugee crisis" in perspective
9/04/2024
It is an indictment of our popular media that it runs articles and editorials that are inflammatory, sensationalised and totally incorrect when matters of refugees come to the fore in all of our discussions. At the present time we are seeing the third of the refugee boat arrivals in recent times. Since the start of this Labor government we have seen 4 boats with a total of 74 people on board arrive in this country.
At the time of the previous Coalition Government (a period of ten years from 2013-2023) the numbers were as follows: 23 boats arrived with 1309 people on board. In addition there were 46 boats intercepted and 103 disrupted.
There has been no change to the Coalitions’ heartless and callous policies that have been implemented by this Labor Government. Therefore any attempt by Dutton or Birmingham or Paterson to say otherwise is disingenuous in the extreme. And for a compliant media to parrot the fallacies perpetrated by these people is equally without basis.
There is no “new refugee crisis” occurring at present. There will always be refugees requiring our assistance coming here from war torn areas. And whilst we continue to assist implement US Policy by the use of arms and as a result, create this refugee influx then for us to turn them back is hypocritical in its audacity.
Suresh Rajan
