I just found out today, that I have to write a persuasive essay on exactly this topic, so I searched through the papers for the last week, and am now pretty well informed about the situation...
There are certainly some good view-points presented here, its good to hear what a non-involved person thinks about the situation, rather than the somewhat patriotic manner in which the local papers present things...
Its hard to know what to think on this issue, because there are two very different sides to it... For example, on the one hand, these current refugess in Australia, have paid big bucks (apparently something in the way of $US10,000) to jump a large que of people who are attempting to legally immigrate to Aus. Do they really deserve entrance if they are "cheating" somewhat?
Then on the other hand they are sitting out in the middle of the ocean, really quite sick, and in need of help...
It should be an interesting topic to write on actually!
------------------
"Watch your back"