Ed,

A couple of corrections going the way of Elizabeth Denney-Wilson (CVI 30/11/22).

The correct status of a person who pays to come to Australia on board a boat controlled by a people smuggler, is without a valid visa and identity papers, can therefore be classified as an unauthorised illegal maritime arrival. Legally.

A quick check of the Parliamentary Library will give Elizabeth Denney-Wilson more facts re boat people arrivals 2009 to 2013, where the number of boat arrivals was 800, the number of boat people is given as 50,000, many tossing their ID papers overboard. God only knows how many did not make it.

Fred Perring, Halfway Creek