Illegal immigration is not 'compassion on the left versus cold-hearted cruelty on the right'

Sky News host Peta Credlin says it is not right to try and paint the issue of illegal immigration on the argument of "compassion on the left versus cold-hearts or cruelty on the right" and it is not immoral to "stop the boats and keep them stopped".

"There's nothing compassionate about deaths at sea, there's nothing compassionate about lining the pockets of criminal people smuggler gangs that prey on the vulnerable," she said.

"There's nothing compassionate about a limited amount of resettlement places in this country going mainly to young men who can pay their way here from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent while leaving women and children for years and years, in the world's most over-crowded refugee camps."

Ms Credlin discussed the plight of the Biloela family who have consistently been found not to meet the criteria for being granted asylum in Australia and are "still refusing to accept the Government's offer to return them to their homeland of Sri Lanka".

"And again, another important point that should not get lost; they are not being held on Christmas Island against their will. At any time, they could elect to return to their homeland," she said.

"At any time they could join around 6,500 illegal arrivals that have gone home, including over 1,500 Tamils like them, back to Sri Lanka given the civil war has now long ended.

"Instead, they have remained in detention, and with the support of activist-lawyers and others, are fighting via their children to remain in Australia."

Видео Illegal immigration is not 'compassion on the left versus cold-hearted cruelty on the right' канала Sky News Australia