For a man who seems to get criticised for supposedly smiling too much, Prime Minister John Key has taken a harsh line on asylum seekers trying to make it into this country illegally.
Putting it bluntly, Mr Key has told them they're not welcome.
It's a tough line, but it's also the
right one.
Mr Key's comments came after reports a boat detained in Indonesia over the weekend was carrying 88 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, apparently hoping to make it to New Zealand.
No one is suggesting this country should have a blanket ban on refugees.
Those with a genuine case and who have suffered persecution should still be considered - as it stands, Mr Key claims New Zealand currently takes in 750 refugees a year.
However, they need to be considered via the existing formalised process.
Any successful attempt by asylum seekers to circumvent that process only serves to undermine it, and even if it's still a rare event for asylum seekers to target New Zealand, bending the rules even once would set something of an uncomfortable precedent.
This sort of scenario is likely to become increasingly common, as New Zealand becomes a more desirable destination for asylum seekers.
There's also the spectre of professional people-smugglers to consider, particularly as the vessels they use improve to the point where New Zealand becomes more accessible.
Mr Key's stance has opened him up to predictable accusations of heartlessness, although the political left has hardly been united in its condemnation.
Labour leader Phil Goff has reportedly acknowledged the futility of a country running its immigration policy by taking whoever turns up.
However Green MP Keith Locke, that perennial battler for the underdog, says asylum seekers should be assessed case by case and allowed to stay if they are found to be genuine refugees.
He's also cited New Zealand's legal responsibility under the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention.
If Mr Locke's claims are proven to be correct, the government does need to take a close look at our obligations under the convention.
After all, rules are rules, whether they apply to refugees or to governments.
Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
For a man who seems to get criticised for supposedly smiling too much, Prime Minister John Key has taken a harsh line on asylum seekers trying to make it into this country illegally.
Putting it bluntly, Mr Key has told them they're not welcome.
It's a tough line, but it's also the
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