After reading online news today, I was bemused at how Immigration Minister appears to be softening his approach to Illegal Immigration in Australia. The Minister has confirmed that 150 Tamil asylum seekers and seven other people held on a customs ship will be transferred to the Australian mainland. According to Sky News the Minister stated that those who can return must be returned. The question lies though, has the Minister gone soft?

It’s not the first time this week the Minister has appeared soft, he has backflipped and provided a permanent visa to a 15 year old Ethiopian boy. Such backflips will be damaging for the Government as Border Protection is a policy which is supported by majority of Australian’s and was one of the major election issues which got the Liberal-National Parties elected to Government. A lack of direction in this area creates a vacuum for extreme minor parties such as One Nation, Australian Protectionist Party and Family First to gain some political momentum.

But why??

The Government in my opinion does want to send a clear message to people smugglers that Australia no longer has open borders and that the adults are in charge. In regards to the 150 Tamil asylum seekers, the Minister, according to Sky News, ruled out that they (asylum seekers) will be resettled in Australia. This confirms that the Government is continuing it’s tough stance and is attempting to deter people from getting on the boat to make that dangerous trip to Australia. The problem however lies with the Judiciary. An unelected body making decision on national sovereignty. Whilst I do support the Constitutions Separation of Powers, I am wary of the judiciary making decisions that affect national interests. With this in mind, the Government must abide by decisions made by the judiciary otherwise this will give the left more ammunition in the courts.

After many hours of contemplation, I have come to the reasoning that the Government isn’t going soft on this issue, they are merely appeasing the judiciary to ensure that they are not open to any form of litigation by the left. The Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison is doing a fantastic job and should be applauded for his efforts.