The Tampa affair, 20 years on: the roots of Australia’s hardline asylum seeker and refugee policy

When the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa rescued 433 asylum seekers from a sinking vessel en route to Christmas Island, it sparked a crisis that led to hardline border policies and indelibly shifted the response to boat arrivals. Reporter Ben Doherty looks back at the extraordinary events that led to Australia's current immigration policies.
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[@GuardianAustralia]

The Tampa affair, 20 years on: the ship that capsized Australia’s refugee policy ► www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/22/the-tampa-affair-20-years-on-the-ship-that-capsized-australias-refugee-policy?CMP=gdnaus_yt

[@PavelKryuchkov]

I don’t quite understand - if they were fleeing from Afghanistan though Indonesia and other countries - why didn’t they stop at Indonesia or is it not safe enough?

[@wilhelmbanse615]

Because they are economic asylum seekers

[@datnoob4394]

Many of those countries are poor and don't have the ability to provide an "Adequate" level of safety

[@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns]

When Howard's Pacific Solution was dismantled by Labor and The Greens, over 1000 asylum seekers drowned at sea directly as a result. The mass drownings only stopped after the Pacific Solution was re-established in 2013.

[@joythought]

Ha ha. What a bs frame job

[@jellybean_91]

That is a massive over-simplification of an extremely complex issue, and completely ignores critically important factors like Australia's obligations under international law.

[@jeciel85]

Australia has laws the all should follow.

[@SavingGraceTV]

The irony of it all, Australia of all places..

[@xv0047]

This is why I love Australia.

[@JohnDoe-nb2np]

Based Australia

[@TEL250r]

Fair play well done 🫡👏

[@sidheshpatil7120]

So the SAS, which is a special purpose capability (to combat a certain kind of an enemy), knowing that those on Tampa were in critical condition (humanitarian crisis), made a choice to welcome a derelict decision made by the government.
It seems SAS is a pretentious organizations that likes to get paid for going after those who bear no relevance whatsoever to the objective of investing in such a military capability.
It wouldn't surprise me, if some time in the future, we might find SAS happily welcoming the task of going around killing rats and mice in Melbourne city, if such a plague gets birthed.

[@astrosherlock374]

U do know all the SAS troops involved hated the mission & every member of the regiment detested the decision right? Plus, it wasn't a choice, they were ordered to, they disobeyed the whole regiment would be strung up, you know that right? And after the Australian government refused to send medical aid and food, the SAS provided the medical aid and food as well as they were equipped to.