Stop the welfare, Stop the boats

Immigration can be a divisive issue for libertarians (see Hoppe Vs Block), however there is one thing that ought to be agreeable to all, and that is, coercively taxing Australians to provide asylum seekers and refugees with tax-payer funded housing and welfare is immoral.

The simple fact is that 85 per cent of humanitarian refugees are on Centrelink benefits within their first five years in Australia and only 31 per cent of these refugees were considered "employed" after five years. These payouts are costing billions, and adding to our mounting debt and deficit.

We simply can't afford it.

New statistics from the Immigration Department show that refugees accepted under Australia's humanitarian program are overwhlemingly unemployed, and recieving government handouts. For example, only 9% of Afghan and 12% of Iranian adult refugees are employed.

Then there are the costs associated with processing in the first place. The government last year estimated a $239 million Department of Immigration and Citizenship price tag for detaining and processing asylum seekers in 2011-12. But given costs for 2010-11 topped $760 million - up from an original estimate of $470 million - and the detention system is still bursting at the seams, the 2011-12 figure is now expected to be much higher.

The situation is spiraling out of control and the government has been forced to spend $2.5 million a month on housing many asylum seekers outside of detention centres. There is even $1.42 million per month being spent on charter flights to spread asylum seekers around the overflowing detention network.

That is not to say that refugees are people undeserving of our help. Socialists often confuse compassion and coercion. True compassion can only be voluntary. Stealing from one to give to another is not compassion.

If we truly want to stop the boats, we need to put an end to our welfare state.