It is tragic that the issue of refugee arrivals by boat is being used, once again, as election fodder says Professor Sharon Bell from the University of Melbourne.

"Changing patterns of arrivals are due  to many complex factors, most notably the ‘push’ factors at work in war ravaged countries like Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.  When we speak of detailed policy knowledge on the part of ‘quite clever’ ‘people smugglers’ we ignore the fact that Australia is just one potential destination of many ," she says.

"These smugglers must be very clever indeed to remain sensitive to many policy pulses, especially those in a state of flux. It is encouraging however that we have heard a few cautious voices from each of the major political parties speaking  out over the past week, urging a more nuanced, humanitarian and bi-partisan response. Hopefully these currently cautious comments will grow into a cacophony of reasoned debate. " 

Professor Sharon Bell,
Senior Program Developer,
L.H.Martin Institute,
Melbourne Graduate School of Education,
University of Melbourne