Refugees are people too.

First up I would like to state, as boldly as I can, that refugees – however they are portrayed – are actually PEOPLE. Never forget they are people, as I am a person; as are you, the reader. As people, individuals, we all suffer – physical and emotional pain, stress, anguish and anxiety and we all have a desire to be treated justly and without prejudice. This is as it should be and this has been recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. It is a noble document and Australia (rightly so) is a signatory to this Declaration.

When some people, citizens of Australia, denigrate and demonise refugees as “boat people”, as “illegal immigrants” or as “queue jumpers” I wonder just how many of them have actually put themselves in the position of these “refugees” and have reflected on what they, the Australians, would do had they experienced a similar background of poverty, injustice and discrimination. And I wonder, also, how many Australians have actually read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Some Australians (the Federal Government included) in violation of the Declaration actually do nothing to prevent prejudice and discrimination, not to say violence against these individuals, ignoring the fact that, for instance:-

Article 7 states that,
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

And Article 9 seeks to ensure that,
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

And then Article 14 which rightfully proclaims,
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

By keeping the refugees/boat people/illegals – whatever – in detention for years Australia is, I believe, in breach of the very Declaration they signed and are hypocritical when they castigate others for not upholding the same Declaration.

And what about charity? This is a quality which is woven into the fabric of every culture and society. In terms of Christianity (and Australia is nominally a Christian country) charity implies love of one’s fellow men (from the Oxford English Dictionary – OED). It means love; kindness; natural affection; spontaneous goodness; a disposition to think favourably of others and to make allowances for their shortcomings; beneficence; liberality to or the provision for those in need or distress.

Is this how we are treating these people who are desperate and in need of succour?

Then there is the adverb charitable which, again in Christian terms, means charity or the love of God and man; tender hearted; loving; benevolent; generous in giving to the poor.

Again I ask are we, as Australians, displaying these virtues and giving assistance to those who ask for our help?

There should be no need for a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If we treat people as we would like to be treated we are applying the universal principles so powerfully declared. We don’t do this because politicians – for political reasons and a few mischievous individuals – for personal reasons, use terms which try to portray these refugees as “different” – they are illegal immigrants; they are queue jumpers; they are disparaged as ‘boat people’ as if this is something to be despised. Once these terms enter the public consciousness it is easy to assume that because they are considered “different” it doesn’t matter if they are treated differently. This is a dangerous step which leads inevitably to the slippery slope of persecution – and history has provided many unfortunate examples of what this means.

To avoid the accusation of breaching the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all applications for refugee status should be processed IN AUSTRALIA; not “off shore” in Malaysia or anywhere else but here within the safety of this great country.