A postscript to the bit about Australia

The "Pacific Solution" was the policy begun by John Howard in 2001 for dealing with the seemingly endless stream of asylum-seekers heading to Australia by sea from various Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The policy - instead of letting the boat people into Australia and examining their asylum claims - involved the Australian government paying the governments of Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea to house them in detention centres. Australia is state party to the Refugee Convention and the UNHCR. This policy (which also overlapped with the deporable "Tampa" situation which Howard used to win the 2001 election), was roundly criticised around the world and besmirched Australia's good standing as a global citizen.

I mention this now, because as of today, the last asylum-seekers have left Nauru, bringing an end - as promised in the election campaign by Kevin Rudd - to a racist and mean-spirited chapter in Australia's recent history. People who endeavour to come here on unseaworthy boats having used up their life savings to do so are either genuine refugees or they're not. Transporting them to deserted detention centres to keep the issue off the front pages and lying to the Australian public about the circumstances behind their arrival is one of the many reasons the country is better off for seeing the end of the little dessicated coconut and his ferretty little face.