Swagman wrote on Feb 27
th, 2013 at 10:48am:
Also [Used to be] known as Illegal Entrants within the terminology of the Act.
"
Also known as" is incorrect. Read it again please.
If we were living in 1993, however, you would be correct.
However, I'm sure you've noticed that we are actually living in a post September 1994 world.
As such, "illegal entrant" has been replaced with "unlawful non-citizen". Previous versions of the Act have been superseded (buy a dictionary if you're unsure).
You're free to continue living in the past if you wish, however, according to the current
Migration Act, boat people are no longer "illegal entrants".
The legislation is quite clear on this matter, and the relevant line even starts out with "
To avoid doubt". However, it seems that those drafting the amendment to the legislation were far too generous in their estimation of the general public's level of intelligence.
"To avoid doubt, a non-citizen in the migration zone who, immediately before 1 September 1994, was an illegal entrant within the meaning of the Migration Act as in force then became, on that date, an unlawful non-citizen."http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ma1958118/s14.html