New York Times urges Europe not to follow Tony Abbott’s “stop the boats” policy towards migrants
The New York Times has lashed out at Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in its editorial on Thursday for his approach towards handling the migrant issues. It has also urged the European nations that are tackling with a huge influx of refugees not to take up the same “unconscionable” measures.
“Prime Minister Tony Abbott has overseen a ruthlessly effective effort to stop boats packed with migrants, many of them refugees, from reaching Australia's shores,” the New York Times said. “His policies have been inhumane, of dubious legality and strikingly at odds with the country's tradition of welcoming people fleeing persecution and war.”
An article entirely dedicated to the prime minister evinces the reputation of the government on the international platform from the perspective of its stance towards refugees. And it clearly shows Mr Abbott’s “stop the boats” policy has not gone down too well with the international observers.
A Senate report released earlier this week suggested that the present condition of the Nauru detention centre is not adequate for children and advised the children be moved from their immediately.
“A report this week by an Australian Senate committee portrayed the Nauru centre as a purgatory where children are sexually abused, guards give detainees marijuana in exchange for sex and some asylum seekers are so desperate that they stitch their lips shut in an act of protest,” the editorial read. It also pointed out that the Australian government has chosen to hide it from the world rather than taking steps against it.
However, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said there are a lot of reasons for Australia to be proud. He cited that recent reports have shown a considerable decrease in the number of children in detention as well as that its decision to turn back the boats have put an end to the death of migrants while trying to get to Australia by sea route.
Mr Abbott Abbott had managed to convince the world that intercepting boats on their way have helped in saving lives of the asylum seekers and some European countries are also interested in adopting the same policy.
"The Australian model may seem attractive to politicians," said Leonard Doyle, a spokesman for the International Organisation for Migration. "Politicians love fences, but what fences do is create a market for smugglers and major humanitarian problems."
In his defence to the sharp criticism drawn by the newspaper, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the need to “stop the boats” can be well explained by the disturbing images of a Syrian child on the Turkish beach.
"If you want to stop the deaths, if you want to stop the drownings, you've got to stop the boats," Mr Abbott told ABC Murray Goulburn Local Radio. "We saw yesterday on our screens a very sad and poignant image of children tragically, tragically dead at sea in illegal migration. And thankfully we've stopped that in Australia because we've stopped the illegal boats, we've said to the people smugglers, 'your trade has closed down.”
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