Politics

Australia Banishes Refugees To Island Detention Camps, And Trump’s The Meanie?

REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis

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Rachel Stoltzfoos Staff Reporter
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President Donald Trump was apparently too mean to Australia, a country that ruthlessly banishes refugees to island detention camps, if it doesn’t simply let them drown.

Trump fumed over a refugee deal Obama made with Australia while on a phone call with the prime minster Saturday, calling it a terrible deal and accusing the leader of trying to export the “next Boston bombers,” before abruptly ending the conversation.

The press and other Trump critics quickly seized on reports of the conversation to characterize Trump as a big xenophobic meanie, reporting breathlessly on the “threat” of a new “rift” between the two historically friendly countries because of the harsh words exchanged on the phone call. Trump “badgered” and “bragged” rudely to Turnbull, WaPo reported, portraying Trump as unreasonable and giving Turnbull a friendly pass from obvious criticisms. (RELATED: Australia’s Immigrant Gitmo: Where Illegals Languish Indefinitely)

Australia bans all refugees who arrive illegally from ever setting foot in the country again, and sends them straight away to off-shore detention camps where they are confined indefinitely. Obama had agreed to take in more than 1,000 of these reject refugees, possibly in exchange for Australia agreeing to take in Central American refugees. The White House kept the details of the bizarre inter-continental refugee swap agreement classified, despite protests from Republicans in Congress.

The vast majority of the refugees Obama agreed to take in are from the Middle East and Africa. Many are from Iran, and others are from countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan.

“Do you believe it?” Trump tweeted after news of the tense phone call leaked to the press Wednesday. “The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!”

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