Quote:Foreign Minister Bob Carr says people arriving in Australia recently by boat are not refugees fleeing persecution, but economic migrants.
"They're not people fleeing persecution. They're coming from majority religious or ethnic groups in the countries they're fleeing, they're coming here as economic migrants," Senator Carr told Lateline on June 26, 2013.
Two days later in Indonesia, Senator Carr was asked what evidence he had to support that assertion.
"I would need to get that out of our, out of the Immigration Department, but as I've looked at data about recent vessels, it's just been, it's been 100 per cent, it's been 100 per cent," he said.
Well said, Foreign Minister.
Quote: “People are coming here, not now as a result of persecution, but because they’re economic refugees who have paid money to people smugglers.” - Foreign minister Bob Carr, Meet the Press, June 9.
Good onya, Bob.