So, what the hell is that then? I mean apart from a bad TV show.

What it is is a deceptive term used by the coalition( and shamefully by the Labour party) to cast a slur on the nature of people arriving by boat.

These people are asylum seekers, not "illegals", or "illegal immigrants". But then, the coalition know this and begrudgingly they accept that it is not illegal to claim refugee status, but they continue to use the terms knowing that if they can demonize the refo's then they claim the tough cop status that disgracefully seems to whistle the dog with many Australians.
It's pretty disgraceful really, that a party will stoop to that level to gain votes. How must Malcolm Fraser feel after his statesman like actions when the Viets came. Fraser stood up and took the high road, stared down the racists in our country and showed leadership.
Contrast this to the "We'll tow them back" crap that Abbot's been on about. Even though he knows the navy think it can't be done and the Indo's won't accept them. Sheer political opportunism, playing to the lowest common denominator.
And now George Brandis. "we'll send them back to their own countries" even though that would be illegal under our UN convention. But wait there's more!!!! Brandis says "the coalition are concerned by a link between crime and illegal immigration"
And now he's drawing a link between asylum seekers and terrorism and asylum seekers and street crime.......what a low bastard.
The real horror of the situation is that the Australian people seem to have swallowed the scary, scary illegals story , hook, line and sinker.
It's the lowest, lowest political game ever. And by the way I'm appalled by the position of my party here as well. We caved in , instead of standing up for a principled argument we caved in. Shameful!