Age bin - refugees

If any Australian government genuinely wanted to reduce the number of refugees who drown on the way here, it could easily do so. Refugees come here in unseaworthy boats because the boats are confiscated and burnt when they arrive, which means that passage money has to cover the whole cost of the boat, which means they can’t afford much in the way of waterproofing and lifebelts (if all airline flights were incinerated on landing we’d all be flying in cheaper and more rickety planes). If Indonesian fishermen got their boats back the refugees would be up only for rental costs and thus could afford a much safer class of boat. Children are drowning because it’s Australia’s deliberate policy; we would rather they died than that we ran the risk of encouraging more boats.