Budget Leak: Immigration Detainees To Pay Own Way

By theunaustralianblog on 20/04/2015

Under ‘Detention Choices’, anyone choosing to stay in offshore immigration rejection centres will have to pay.

Plans to introduce a policy whereby illegal boat arrivals must pay for the cost of their own detention has been leaked a few weeks away from announcing the federal budget for 2015-16.

The leaked budget documents indicate that under the scheme anybody who has to be housed in mandatory detention is doing so by their own choice and so therefore they must pay for it. The term mandatory detention has been deemed misleading in light of this and so in conjunction with the policy a name change will be announced changing it to Detention Choices.

Under the Detention Choices program anyone choosing to stay in offshore immigration rejection processing centres will be charged for the expense. Those that can’t afford to pay up front will be given access to loans in their country of origin where it can be repaid by working for the regimes they were fleeing for their holiday.

Notes on the scheme highlight that terms in detention should be lowered under the plan. The loan scheme will expedite repatriation as detainees won’t want to leave any family back home with too much of a debt should they die from simple medical conditions for which they can’t afford treatment.

The (un)Australian contacted the government but they responded that they don’t comment on leaks unless they were leaked on purpose or if they are a leak about the Labor Party. Media spokesperson for the Liberal Party told The (un)Australian: “Leaky departments are like leaky boats, we don’t comment regarding on-water matters.”

However despite no official acknowledgement from the government Joe White, spokesperson for the Australian Defence League, has welcomed the news.

“Why should Australian taxpayers fund these resort visits on Christmas Island after pleasure cruises through the Pacific. If they can afford to pay for the trip, they can afford to pay for their stay,” added White, “just like brown people wanting something for free!”

Budget night looms as the evening of Joe Hockey’s political life after this year’s budget opened the Liberal Party up to much criticism with many measures so controversial they were never passed.

He’ll now be waiting with baited breath to see if public opinion reflects the views of the Australian Defence League on Detention Choices. Given the popularity of the current immigration policy, it’s likely he’ll be able to safely celebrate budget night by chomping on a big cigar and dancing his little heart out.

Ryan Crawford
http://www.twitter.com/ryanthecrawford

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