They’re fraudsters not refugees says Smalley

Rachel Smalley writes:

So while I have some compassion for the plight of these students, the law is the law. Their applications are fraudulent. They cannot be allowed to stay in this country. Imagine the precedent that would set? They can leave the country by their own free will, or be forcefully deported. If police have to enter that church and forcefully deport them, then so be it.

And I also question the role of the Church in this. The Unitarian Church. These nine students are not asylum seekers. They are not going to face political or religious persecution if they return to India. Their lives are not at risk so quite why the Church has stepped in here is a little baffling. The Church is sheltering illegal immigrants who have committed fraud. That is not the role of The Church. That is not, in my opinion, God’s work.

Well said.

What is also interesting is that almost every caller into an Indian radio station supported deporting them. They said that these scams are well known, and that the students were probably well aware the agents had done fraudulent applications – in fact that is why the agents were used.