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Asylum Seekers
But letting asylum seekers in is so much more than that; it’s about
embracing the benefits of accepting deserving people into our
society. The higher population in Australia creates more human
power, more ideas and more development, which boosts the
economy. Introducing refugees demands a higher level of social
workers and educators, creating more jobs and more experience for
Australians. With a growing population, we can learn to utilise our
resources and work towards eliminating poverty through education
and opportunities, at such an insignificant cost.
A larger range of cultures in our society increases awareness and
encourages acceptance within communities. It provides a stronger
and more respectful relationship with other countries, which is
something that we desperately need, considering how selfish we
have been to countries like France and the US, who have managed to
share their resources with more than 3 million refugees. As a
developed country, it is our responsibility, our privilege to share with
others. There’s always the excuse that Australia doesn’t have enough
space for all these people; but we have the 3rd lowest density in
he world. And yes, most of our land is desert, but when it comes
to choosing between hot weather and a war zone, I wouldn’t
think twice.
Maybe the government does have the best interests of asylum
seekers in mind. But think about child abuse in churches, the stolen
generation. Just because the government has good intentions for
refugees, doesn’t mean that they’re really doing the right thing by
them. We all make mistakes, but it’s time for us to learn from them
and prioritise short term prevention with long term damage. In the
words of civil rights activist, Mary Angelou; ‘
History, despite its
wrenching pain, cannot be un-lived, but if faced with courage, need not be
lived again
.’
If Australia is always talking about reducing poverty and sharing
wealth, why are we ignoring those who are so close to home? How
can we deprive distressed children like Samira from their basic
necessities? We have the resources, the money and the space for
struggling refugees, so why are we constantly pushing them away?
Even our national anthem seeks acceptance and development for
our society: ‘
For those who come across the seas, we’ve boundless plains to share,
with courage let us all combine to advance Australia fair.
’
‘
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