On Immigration, Asylum Seekers and Things

In discussions regarding immigration and Australia’s treatment of refugees, asylum seekers, boat people, illegal arrivals, or whatever else may come within that broad parameter of things, there is one fundamental thing that must always be understood – the world, and life, is not fair.

Is it fair that people should be forced to flee their homes because of persecution, war, drought and the like? Of course not. And is it fair that such people should languish in detention centres, refugee camps etc? No. And is it fair that a rich country like people should turn people away? Of course not.

But – life is not fair.

Second thing that we should insist on. The first priority of the Australian Parliament and all our elected representatives is to protect the unity of the Australian nation. If there is a risk that uncontrolled or knee jerk policies result in the breakdown of social cohesion we run the risk of creating the type of society that others are fleeing from. Rather than solving one problem we have created another.

Fact. Many of these asylum seekers come from cultures that have values that we find abhorrent. They have different understanding of how society should be regulated. Their treatment of women, for example, is not in keeping with our values of equality. Arranged marriages, child marriages, honour killings etc. Not to mention centuries of hostility between one group and another.

Some may label our attitudes as racist. There are things that get around on Facebook and social media that are, I believe, ill-informed, especially when it comes to the amount of money these people receive after they arrive. But there is also, I believe, a legitimate fear among many about the impact that immigration from some of these countries may bring.

While our politicians may play to those fears for political advantage – and I believe there is no doubt they do – that does not mean those fears are groundless.

I am all for giving people a fresh start. And that extends to people from any country, culture or religion. But we need to do it in ways that preserves our freedoms, that allows our citizens to travel without fear to any part of the country. And the only way we can do that is manage the change carefully.

And if that means we let people suffer in refugee camps and the like – remember, life sucks.

Its not about compassion, its about reality. Refugees are more than people on boats. There are millions of Palestinian refugees in the world, many of them on the Gaza strip and West Bank. Some still have the keys to the houses their parents or grandparents were forced out of in the late 40s. Palestinian refugee kids with stones fight highly trained soldiers in tanks.

This is only a small part of the total number of displaced persons around the globe. Yes - life sucks.

People on boats get all the attention. Is compassion selective - only directed at those who can afford to pay people smugglers? A refugee camp on Mannus Island or Naru may not be paradise, but if managed properly it should give people a basic safety, nutrition and health care - which is more than a lost of other displaced persons in this world get. And they are not going to get run over by Israeli tanks of have their houses bulldozed because one of the family is suspected of being a terrorist. Not an ideal solution, but better than where they were. Done properly, it is a measure of compassion.

If there is a solution it has to be a world solution, because Australia can't be the solution.

And if unmanaged immigration means my granddaughters end up being treated as second class citizens, denined the rights to which I believe they are entitled, and cannot walk any street in this country in safety because we have been 'compassionate', then I am not inclined to be compassionate. But then, I don't equate compassion with opening our doors to anyone who rocks up in a boat, or who steps off an aeroplane, and says 'I am a refugee.'