Enough with the boat people

Okay, I think it's time this human tragedy of boat people coming to Australia came to a stop. They are mostly obviously economic opportunists taking advantage of Australia's refugee laws. As a result it's allowed people-smuggling to flourish and lead to a number of boats sinking and many lives lost. Australia ends up looking like the bad guy by keeping these people in detention, often offshore, with protests and so on by these desperate people who've spent so much on the trip here.

Australia must end the incentives to these people coming here. Australia must opt out of the Refugee Convention it previously signed and make new laws on refugees. Only people who apply legally should be allowed refugee status, anyone who arrives by boat must be automatically refused. Only this way will these people stop risking their lives and that of their families to try and get access to a developed country and its welfare system.

Australia is the good country that it is today due to our system, our culture of fairness and looking after people when they are down. If we allow too many people from intolerant cultures to come here that will change the country. It will make Australia become the very thing they are escaping from, an unfair and corrupt country where there is no equality of opportunity or welfare system.

Migrants who come here should indeed be screened regarding culture. For example, devout muslims cannot tolerate or accept western liberalism. So why do they come here? We are too weak to say no for fear of being labelled racist. But the fact is these people are incompatible with Australian culture. Our being tolerant only works if we are allowing people in who are also tolerant. If we do not require people who come here to be tolerant also, it pretty much defeats the point.

Frankly those who wish to come here should be allowed here on the basis that they are suitable for Australia and can fit into our culture. We do not want to change it into a traditional society where men are above women, where corruption is the norm, where showing skin is frowned upon and where people's lives are controlled by religious fundamentalism. Those who come from particularly alien cultures should only be allowed here if they are marrying into and integrating with our society. Otherwise Australia will no longer be what is, and will lose the very thing that makes it such a great country.