[Sundae]

I read about this this morning and thought it was an odd idea. How many people are being held in Gitmo for heaven's sake? Surely less than pitch up in Australia illegally? Surely Australia is going to end up with a lot of asylum seekers sitting around in a holding facility waiting for the Americans to have enough to exchange like for like.

I don't understand the idea that this is supposed to be a deterrant. Try to enter a first world country without the correct legal paperwork/ requirements and we'll.... er.... send you to another first world country instead. Yup, great deterrent. I'm not advocating the "push the boats away with sticks and the problem will solve itself" approach, but as far as political messages go this seems a mixed one at best.

Is it something to do with the flavour of asylum seekers do you think? The Cubans and Haitians already have their own enclaves in the US, so they'd prefer some Sri Lankans and Burmans instead? And Australia quite fancies some rum and cigar style immigrants for a change?