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All I can say is that those who are sewing their lips together or self harming are clearly attention seekers and not genuine human beings fleeing persecution. What is the point in inflicting physical injury on yourself when you have arrived in a country where you are then safe?
Also, the vast majority of these people 'seeking asylum' whether it be us or Australia etc, all tend to bypass other perfectly legitimate democracies. Now I don't know enough about the Aussies and their welfare state to comment, but is anyone going to argue that the vast majority of them are simply economic migrants as opposed to people in genuine danger of their lives? For a start, how can they prove their claims other than verbally?
"Charity begins at home", and indeed it should. Many here are losing jobs and homes because of our own economic recession and that at least is one good reason why we shouldn't burden our own economy with people who have deliberately gone out of their way to make sure they land on our shores.
Therefore we should take as many precautions as possible to vet anyone's credentials - that alone costs a small fortune - and if that involves keeping them all in the equivalent to military style barracks to ensure that they don't disappear in the meantime, then I for one are am for it.