Comments by "Sandy Tatham" (@sandytatham3592) on "Priti Patel destroyed with 3 simple facts about refugees" video.

Why not give asylum seekers Temporary Residence visas, and then reassess when it’s safe to return home to rebuild their countries? They could be assisted with repatriation funds when their country is safe again. I worked with Afghani, Iraqi and Iranian ‘illegal’ refugees in Australia in 2001-2 and those who wanted to return to their homes later did so.
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@chefinthesandbox593 : Not so many, I agree, but Australia doesn't give out Permanent Residence visas easily. Out of the group that I was teaching English to, I think it was only the Afghani men who wanted to return. The culture of Australia had little appeal for them and they were given a good repatriation amount. However an 18yo Hazara boy opted to remain in Australia to study nursing as he would have returned to ongoing persecution, and he had found out that his whole family had been killed.
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@chefinthesandbox593 : None these days. Australia "stopped the boats" in a very controversial policy many years ago, and they still maintain it. I've also lived in the UK and found it to be very loose regarding immigration laws and practices.
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@alanmawson9601 : I suggested giving 'temporary' visas (rather than permanent), and repatriating asylum seekers when safe to do so. I affirmed Australia's policy of completely stopping the boats. Do I really sound like a "bleeding heart"?
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@alanmawson9601 : It's not voluntary. It's government policy. Read an Irish Times article published in 2002 called "Group of 35 Asylum Seekers". Furthermore, having lived for seven years in the UK, I found it ridiculously soft on illegal immigrants and law-breakers.
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@alanmawson9601 : And that's precisely why Australia has banned the processing of illegal boat people in Australia. They get sent elsewhere. If they do have their asylum application approved, they will be sent to another country. Australia only accepts those refugees who come via the UNHRC procedure.
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