Australia had a problem with illegal immigration.
It doesn’t anymore.
In the past seven months, not one single illegal immigrant arrived on Australian shores. Not one single boat has docked on the Australian coastline.
Compare this to the preceding four year period: over 50,000 illegal immigrants arrived on Australian shores. More than 800 boats. Upwards of 1000 people drowned at sea. A budget blowout of more than 10.3 billion dollars.
Those that arrived were given welcome hampers, mobile phones, plasma TVs, housing, medical and other household items- all at a cost to the taxpayer.
And the overwhelming majority of those that came were not genuine refugees; many of them turned up in designer clothes, and with mobile phones. They weren’t fleeing persecution; they just wanted a piece of Australia’s generous welfare state.
Frighteningly, some of them appeared to be Western haters, with one incident captured on video, with one illegal immigrant, upset to have been intercepted by the Australian military, told the military to “F--- Australia ... If later on you said why they do that to America on September 11, you should know the cause of it is your very deeds. Remember 9/11 for United States. All the world should know why.”
It was a mess.
It happened because a center-left government (the equivalent of the Democrats) elected in late 2007, decided to dismantle the existing tough and effective border security policy. They made the usual self-righteous left-wing claims that the existing policies were inhumane, immoral and sent the wrong message. While never brave enough to say it, their actions said it all: they believed in open borders.
And so they presided over more than 1000 deaths at sea, and were a boon to the evil people smugglers all over South-East Asia. Not only did their policy fail; it killed people.
The Australian people silently revolted. They saw them, rightly, as “queue-jumpers”- and believed it was unfair to genuine refugees (Australia already has a generous refugee intake) and those seeking to come the right way. They were devastated at the deaths of men, women and children on the high seas, who had been encouraged to take the perilous journey. And they were concerned about how much money this fiasco was costing. Not to mention- we didn’t know who these people were. Were they compatible with our way of life?
So, they threw out the government at the national election in September 2013. One of the incoming government’s core election promises was to “stop the boats”. Immediately, Prime Minister Tony Abbott got to work.
As he couldn’t stop the boats overnight, in those first few months, his government said to the illegal immigrants arriving to Australia two options: “You’ve arrived in Australia illegally. As a result, you will never get to stay here. You will never get to be an Australian. So, you have two options- we will take you to a processing center, and you will wait in detention for your asylum application to be processed. Or we will fly you home free.”
In addition to this, the Abbott government got the Australian military to enforce its border protection, intercepting boats, turning them around, and even towing them back. And it applied pressure on Indonesia, by demanding they secure their own border.
Soon, the message got out, and the boats have stopped. It’s an ongoing issue that requires vigilance, but it has been achieved. Australia’s policy has been exceptionally effective in saving lives. It’s been done amid incessant howling from the Left and the mainstream media.
The successful Australian model is one America must learn from. It shows what can happen when you develop a policy and adhere to it strictly, with no exceptions.
Instead of praising Australia on gun laws, President Obama should be praising Australia’s border security.
President Obama needs to toughen up. He needs to begin dispensing leadership, here and abroad. He needs to say: “We will determine who comes into this country, and the circumstances under which they come.” He needs to say: “If you come to America illegally, you will never ever get to stay. You will never be an American. We will send you home. Period.” Illegals should be aware that they will have risked plenty and spent a lot for zero result. He needs to get the National Guard down there to do its job. He needs to demand that Mexico police its own border, and if not, threaten them with trade sanctions.
That’s real leadership.
What can be more humanitarian than saving the thousands of people’s lives who die crossing the border? What can be more humanitarian than ensuring the safety of 300 million Americans?
Populations are on the move. Western countries’ borders are under attack everywhere. Time for honesty from the Left: how many millions do we really want, and how will they change this country?
The illegals are being clever now sending their children. This is happening all around the world. It does not matter what their age; send them back. It’s time to administer tough love.
It’s the only way. Australia has proved it. Now, it’s time for America, the world’s leader and indispensable nation, to do the same.