We are heading for a Federal election in a couple of weeks, and so far the politicians have been mainly mud slinging each other and using "Illegal" immigration as a scare tactic .....
Arriving by boat and asking for asylum is not illegal !!!! Over staying a visa is......June 7 2010 Rachel Ball in The Age wrote:
The first assumption is that Australia is about to be flooded with boat arrivals. This anxiety is not supported by the numbers. About 4500 asylum seekers have arrived by boat in the past year. Compare this to 200,000 new permanent residents... each year and about 50,000 visa overstayers from such places as New Zealand, Britain and the US.
SO in effect we increase our population by 255,000 people (immigrants) a year, approx 2% arrive by boat seeking asylum ) almost 80% by using the "correct channels " and 18% who illegally stay after their Visa expires....... (does any one know where these come from??)
Is it really a problem???
