Australian authorities have published a graphic campaign, seemingly aimed at deterring asylum seekers. It uses the slogan: “No way. They will not make Australia home”, and shows a map of Australia with a line struck through it. The campaign has also used a graphic novel depicting asylum seekers in distress in an offshore detention centre.


Elements of the campaign have been launched on the Department for Immigration and Border Protection website and on the Customs and Border Protection website, with neither department willing to comment on the material. The campaign also appears to include the first official concession that the Coalition government has ordered Australian defence personnel to turn asylum seeker boats back.


A section of the immigration site says: “Don’t waste your money – people smugglers are lying. The Australian government has instructed the Australian Defence Force to turn back boats where it is safe to do so.”

The 18-page digital graphic novel appears to be aimed at Afghan asylum seekers and was first published on the Customs and Border Protection website in November. It shows images of people suffering medical problems and depression in offshore detention centres.

The campaign also shows an illustration of a small boat on rough seas. The immigration department said it was a matter for Customs and Border Protection, who did not provide a comment by deadline.

Immigration and border protection minister Scott Morrison also declined to comment, despite repeated attempts at contacting him.

In opposition, Morrison criticised the Labor government for running a multimillion dollar advertising campaign purportedly aimed at dissuading asylum seekers from arriving in Australia by boat.

The Labor government adverts, introduced on 19 July after the so-called PNG solution was introduced, were labelled as “propaganda” by the Coalition after they were published in newspapers in Australia before they were circulated abroad. The Labor government spent more than $3 million on the adverts for domestic publication.

“These ads are NSW Labor 101,” said Morrison at the time, “They are ram-raiding the taxpayer’s ATM … Eddie Obeid would be proud.”

Guardian Australia asked Customs to specify whether the new campaign would be published in domestic media or abroad, and how much the campaign had cost, but is yet to receive a response.

What a sad, sad day for our country.

We must use whatever means necessary to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.

We must use whatever means necessary to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.

What a sad, sad day for our country.

No different to Labor's campaign. Were you sad then?

Was pathetic when the ALP did it and is still pathetic now. Nothing more than propaganda to please xenophobic bogans.

They are not illegal under the UN Refugee Convention which Australia signed. :lol:

I don't agree with the whole refugee thing, at all.
they need to be stopped, because the UN convention which was signed back in the stone age is absolute rubbish.
all it is, is a loophole which is being used by criminals to get people into the country through the back door whilst
genuine refugees, hardworking people, and skilled migrants that are trying to settle here are having a hard time.

I loved the story one was telling me. oh the trick is to go from Iran to turkey. from turkey you can get into Germany and apply for asylum in new Zealand, from there you can get to Australia. wow.

yet on the other hand my Australian friend who married a Slovakian girl cant get her here, because he needs to go
through tons of red tape. its Ludacris.

ill happily accept anyone to come to our country the right way, but I do not accept criminals



Edited by sav: 13/2/2014 12:00:52 PM

Like others have posted here already, which asylum people will have the leisure to just search casually the c and p website for this?? Better check before i flee if its ok to seek refuge in Australia.

This is nothing but a vote buying exercise run by BOTH major political parties. These people are covered under the UN Refugee convention, the government should be cracking down on people over staying their visa's instead of wasting our tax payers money.

I just thought of a crazy idea, if voting wasn't compulsory would the majority of bogans be bothered to vote?? If they don't vote then the majority bogan vote becomes the minor and these type of racist issues become null and void??

Back in the Flinstone era; circa 1951. I must say, dissecting this post takes some doing.

What loophole are you referring to?
What evidence is there that the system is being systematically abused by criminals?

We would be better served by evicting the 70 000 or so people who live in this country without a valid visa.

So now it's racist to want a sustainable and responsible immigration policy that doesn't endanger the lives of those who wish to come here.

Just apply through the proper channels for genuine, legal immigration. It's much safer for all party's involved, and it doesn't have to make the government look like "rayciss whitees" for wanting a responsible immigration policy.

I must say, dissecting this post takes some doing.

Sadly our country and both our major parties have become carbon copies of each other . This whole episode is designed to appeal to those bogans who love watching aca and listening to shock jocks .Our major parties are be sodden to the lowest common denominator which is sad

We tolerate too much mediocrity on our televisions, from our politicians and in our classrooms. 25% of Americans don't know that the Earth revolves around the sun. I reckon that the figure in Australia wouldn't be that different, and if people are that dumb, and they vote, what hope do we have to try and solve this difficult problem appropriately.

You mean well but I call bs.

How much does it cost Australia to do all this?

I'm sorry but if you ask this question you are a compassionless right wing racist.

It's not about cost, its about supporting everyone who can't support themselves. We don't work to get ahead in life. We work to make other people's lives better. :lol: