When you think about the boats, think again
Introducing Amnesty International’s new campaign which seeks to change the asylum seeker debate in Australia.
Backed by a wealth of social research, we’ve launched a major new campaign to shift the hearts and minds of the Australian public on the issue of asylum seekers. The campaign features TV, radio, print and online advertising running across major media throughout the country.
How you can help
We know that without a permanent shift in the debate we'll never see a permanent shift in the policy. You can help us by sharing the Rethink Refugees campaign with your friends and family.
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Emailhttp://www.rethinkrefugees.com.au
About the research
In May, we commissioned research into community attitudes of asylum seekers. Our research found that unsympathetic views towards asylum seekers are not racially motivated, nor do they stem from a lack of compassion. Rather, we found that community fear of asylum seekers stems from myths from the media and both major political parties.
With this campaign we are seeking to correct the myths with facts, and ask to Australians to empathise with the plight of asylum seekers. And while we're not normally in the business of advertising, we’ve found that when people see this message, they are likely to change their minds.
- Read a blog by Campaign Coordinator Alex Pagliaro detailing the research and strategy behind the 'Rethink Refugees' campaign - Stopping the spin on ‘the boats’
Asylum seekers - the facts
- It is legal to seek asylum by boat (under international and domestic law).
- Nearly all asylum seekers who arrive by boat are genuine refugees.
- Asylum seekers arriving by boat make up less than 2 per cent of Australia’s annual immigration.
Further reading
- Stopping the spin on ‘the boats’, blog, 6 December 2010.
- An uncertain future: Inside Australia’s detention centres, feature, 1 November 2010.
Comments
Kate Leaney | Posted on 31 January 2011, 10:07AM | Report comment
@Miezko - maybe that’s the solution to the immigration debate, hey - just poll a selection of randoms and make decisions based on their infinite wisdom and potentially racist backgrounds….
I cannot even imagine the pain and suffering these guys go through every day - it hurts me even more to hear their trauma belittled by people who have NO idea. So thank you, Miezko, for understanding and helping me realise there are people who believe as I do…
PS @ the voice of reason - you are indeed. :)
Miezko | Posted on 31 January 2011, 10:01AM | Report comment
Or perhaps if you’d been tortured, or had your family murdered… or been an oppressed religious minority continually persecuted, harassed, beaten (etc)...
Additionally, I am unsure how wise it is to take moral guidance from a cab driver in Indonesia. Should we perhaps also model our legal system on Saudi Arabia’s?
Kate Leaney | Posted on 31 January 2011, 09:57AM | Report comment
@ Peter - I wonder if you would still refer to this as “piss weak” if you had to spend 17 months in detention, separated from your family, not knowing what is going to happen to you, or to them ... just a thought…
PETER | Posted on 31 January 2011, 09:54AM | Report comment
I was in Malaysia a couple weeks ago and our tour driver and I were talking about supposed refugees and i asked him if they come through Malaysia at all. He said they do on thier way to Australia, he laughed loudly and said, they come through here, throw away thier papers and the Australian Gov’t give them welfare. We are being laughed at because we are so piss weak.
Kate Leaney | Posted on 6 December 2010, 01:04PM | Report comment
WOW. I don’t know why - but it always continues to astound me the amount of ignorance that still remains in this world.
For those of you who call the asylum seekers “cowards”, I ask you, would YOU have the courage to stand out against opression? To defend yourself, your family and your country?
Would YOU have the courage to overcome torture, cruelty beyond your wildest imagination?
Would YOU have the courage to leave behind all that you know in the hope of a new life? To get onto an unsafe boat, which in all likelihood, may not even reach Australia.
Would YOU have the courage to live for months in detention, separated from your family, who are the very reason you are putting yourself through such hell?
The asylum seekers (yes, ones that came here by boat!) that I’ve had the privilege to spend time with are the strongest, most courageous, most inspirational people I’ve encountered.
thevoiceofreason | Posted on 6 December 2010, 10:54AM | Report comment
Kieron, the first most obvious point I was make is that these individuals are NOT illegal; they are legally able to seek asylum (even by boat) under international and domestic law.
As for the rhetoric around violence and war; I dare say an international organisation such as Amnesty International would have far more of an idea as to the depth and breadth of violence across the world than yourself, since it is their role to monitor, report and act on human rights violations across the entire globe.
However I must admit I am very impressed with your propose solution of responding to violence and cruelty with more violence and cruley - it is a concept of such startling originality and obvious value. Surely it has never be tried before!
Kieron | Posted on 6 December 2010, 10:31AM | Report comment
When I first saw this ad, I was going to cancel my membership. It is a terrible ad.
Am International should help fix up their country, instead of helping illegal persons flee their own country.
All refugees are cowards. Why don’t they stay, fight and die for their country and make their country a better place?
Will they fight for defend Australia, when the time comes? No they will not, because they could not even do it for their own country of born.
Am International, the U.N and all the other N.G.O’s have failed. The world is a very dark and violent place. Wake up and get armed.
Bob | Posted on 2 December 2010, 03:58AM | Report comment
This is a very complicated issue. What is required in this debate is balance, not propaganda by either side.
Just look at these two recent Hazara cases from the Refugee Review Tribunal.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/cth/RRTA/2010/328
http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/cth/RRTA/2010/566
Every case is different but they give you a better idea of who’s coming to our shores and where they’re from. Nothing is ever black and white.
Dee Wallis | Posted on 30 November 2010, 07:36PM | Report comment
I agree with the comment stating that the ad just does not quite hit the mark.
More numbers should be out there showing the comaprison of refugees against those of visa overstayers who actually are illegal!
Australians should be ashamed of themselves for reacting to the political propaganda & acting in a un-humanitarian manner toward those who have experienced violence, trauma or persecution on a level that we will never experience!
Allegory | Posted on 30 November 2010, 02:14PM | Report comment
Hmm…the advert falls somewhat short of the mark.
It generates some sympathy but it is obviously aimed to evoke empathy - and it doesn’t do this effectively enough.
The linking between the first mother and the second is not particularly effective. It may be more effective to morph the ‘western’ woman from the bedroom setting to the refugee setting and then change the actors only in the final moment. This would better convey the message that we would act no differently if we were in the same situation.
Also, it doesn’t answer a key question of concern “why should WE take them in, why don’t they go to a camp where they belong?”
LJ | Posted on 30 November 2010, 11:58AM | Report comment
madeline kingston - you are putting people off accessing this site so stop posting! As you actions are countering your intentions.
thevoiceofreason | Posted on 30 November 2010, 11:53AM | Report comment
I would suggest that Ms. Kingston simply post once and link offsite to a blog post or a more extensive article. Most recently she posted 29 comments in a row, which effectively strifes all discussion on this article. I think that criticism is warranted.
While there is no doubt there is value to what she is posting, it is not polite, and is extremely frustrating to any users currently engaged in debate.
K Ward (Allegory) | Posted on 30 November 2010, 11:41AM | Report comment
@Sick of Madeleine Kingston 28 Nov 2010
I have learned more about both sides of the asylum seeker issue from reading Madeleine Kingston’s posts than reading DIAC fact sheets and hundreds of media articles.
One doesn’t have to share Ms Kingston’s opinions but the facts and references she cites are valuable and their veracity, accuracy and consistency is beyond question. Her posts may be somewhat long, however a key issue in thise ‘debate’ is the propensity for self proclaimed pundits to discredit everything that does not agree with their viewpoint. Ignorance is the enemy of rational debate, Ms Kingston provides us the tools for rationality. Unfortunately, there are many who are not interested in rational debate and other simply reject it.
thevoiceofreason | Posted on 30 November 2010, 09:53AM | Report comment
I also think your perception that we have playboy faux-refugees risking their lives in leaky, rusted boats with little food, no room to lay down and little hope of actually surviving the ordeal is a distorted one. If they were indeed wealthy, why wouldn’t they just simply fly here and overstay their VISA - like the majority of individual who are actually illegal immigrants? Why risk their lives on a boat for months at a time? It just doesn’t make any sense.
For you to flee your homeland and risk your life - or the life of family members - in a boat is not a decision taken lightly, and I doubt individuals are taking such an enormous risk unless it was necesasry.
thevoiceofreason | Posted on 30 November 2010, 09:52AM | Report comment
Murray, I’m afraid the large flaw in your argument is that it is legal to seek asylum under domestic and international law (Australia Migration Act and UN Refugee Convention) - therefore these individuals are not illegal. If their claims for aslyum are not accepted, then they are indeed deported - but the point stands that in the eyes of the law they are NOT illegally entering our waters.
Of course, I should also point out the cost to taxpayers comes from extremely expensive and inefficent offshore processing and mandatory detention - which no other first world country does.
Murray | Posted on 29 November 2010, 08:49PM | Report comment
Part 2 I believe there illegally entering our waters no permission to enter breaking our laws NO RESPECT TO OUR LAWS SO SEND THEM BACK. Keep the whingers out. Laws are broken but no convictions. Captain who breaks the law should go thru our courts be fine for the 1st offence, and burn their boats, 2nd offence spend some time in jail (6 - 12) months and burn their boats 3rd offence jail them for 10 years, this should stop these boat people from entering into our waters. We the tax payer are paying the ‘illegal immigrants’ while there spending time here would be costing us the tax payer heaps. I would rather put them on a plane and send them back. People of Australia shouldn’t be blamed or thinking sorry for these people. Real refugees don’t have money these people do, so don’t be false into believing that there poor, there not.
Murray | Posted on 29 November 2010, 08:47PM | Report comment
Asylum seekers the problem is they are coming into the country illegal. I don’t have any problems with people who visit us or need to settle here, this is the best country in the world. But I hate those who think that they can come into the country forcing their way in claiming to be refugees. They pay alot to get into the country, then they are not refugees, they are rich socialist not refugees, and then while they are here, they whinge and whine because they’re not getting their own way. Then there are people here in this country think they should just walk right on in without getting immigrations to check them out. It’s hard to check people out when papers that there carrying on them need to be thoroughly checked out. So why rush it but because it’s not going quick enough not getting there on way, dictating terms telling our government what to do, these people claiming refugees should be happy to be here and be out of their own country.
jim gardner | Posted on 29 November 2010, 06:10PM | Report comment
send them home ASAP
R.Hill | Posted on 29 November 2010, 05:49PM | Report comment
I agree with R. McKenry. The people I meet with negative views about asylum seekers have got their opinions from the popular media - shock jocks, sensationalist current affairs programs and tabloids. People with popular status would have more credibility for these people than some unknown actor. There must be plenty of well-known actors, tv and radio personalities who abhor the treatment of boat people, and at least some who would be willing to contribute to a publicity campaign.
Michael Gallaway | Posted on 29 November 2010, 09:17AM | Report comment
I applaud the sentiment behind this ad. Something is missing in it but I’m not sure what. I’m not quite ‘believing’ it. Maybe the foreign woman should be speaking her language with subtitles? And the Australian actor is working too hard. It’s a little too slick. i’m coming from the perspective of a Drama teacher.
Michael