Jack77 said:
The problem is, even if you do intern all illegal arrivals there is always some do-gooding bastard making noises trying to get them out. The Detention Centres in Australia were deliberately sited in remote areas but the press and the rent-a-rabble set up a semi permanent presence outside the gates. This encouraged the inmates to stage protests and riots, which in turn led to the rabble saying that the centres were a dangerous environment and must be shut down.
Thankfully it seems the well advertised existence of these centres has had the desired effect as illegal arrivals are well down on previous years, also helped by changes to the immigration zone and increased sentences for the crews of the people smuggling vessels.
In the last few years the Australian Customs Service has started using large, armed patrol boats ( 7.62 mm GPMGs) to supplement the RAN patrol boats and Coastwatch aircraft that used to have the entire burden of patrolling the northern approaches. Perhaps the UK could do the same?
Jack77
Oz is thousands of miles from any other civilization, if you land in NW Oz you are 100 of miles from anywhere that may just be called a town so enforcement really is not much more than covering a sea area of your northern coast. I fully agree with the policies put in place and the camps set up in inhospitable places to encourage said people to feck off back home.
But it is not a solution that is suitable for Europe. Of the 28 members of the EC and two associated countries Norway and Switzerland all but two, the UK and Ireland have signed the "Schengen Agreement" which allows free movement of people, with no border controls between countries. Five countries have yet to implement the agreement Switzerland, two who have been members for 4 days and two Island states, Malta and Southern (Greek) Cyprus.
Just as you have no border controls between Queensland and NSW or the other states that is now how Europe operates. You cross a border at 120K's on a motor way. The Australian model really has no application to the UK situation. We do not have any place to put detention camps that the locals would accept. We are very close to Continental Europe and on most days more then the complete population of Oz crosses into or out of the UK borders by Air, Rail or coach and car ferry. Tens of thousands shop daily in France, Belgium and Holland.
I think that the contributors on these pages will have to accept a level of illegals if they wish to remain living in a non Police State with out an internment camp at the bottom of there particular garden.
Nutty