Good on you Johannesburg
Oh for goodness sake. Each day I read or hear more stories about those dreaded bloody illegal
immigrants coming to our shores. According to some shock jocks there are thousands of them
already on boats with another vast group waiting under the Asian trade winds for an escape to down
under.
Every week we are faced with the same fiasco – people from all over Asia jumping on dangerous
bloody boats coming to Australia to live their dreams. Oh the life they will have. Each will have a
mobile phone, each will have their own bed, multiple cars, computers, nights out, welfare if needed.
Oh what a life they can look forward to! Just like you and I. Not such a bad dream is it?
But hang on? Something is not quite right. These people are....wait for it...illegal aliens or illegal
immigrants. Alien or immigrant matters not....they are quite categorically illegal.
It all went pear shaped when the Tampa arrived. We had illegal’s throwing their children overboard.
They (the shock jocks) even had video footage of this abhorrent act. The Prime Minister of Australia
was similarly appalled. The PM even told us truths that we did not know – there may be a link
between those on board the Tampa and those who committed 9.11.
Eventually though it came to light, albeit dim, that no child was thrown overboard and unless I am
terribly mistaken there were no terrorists either. None of this made sense to me. None of it! So I
decided I would learn and I continue to learn today. I have learned enough to know that we do not
have illegal immigrants coming to our shores by boat. I now know that international instruments
signed by Australia allow them to legally come here in search of a better life..
In its simplest form the Universal Declaration of Human Rights tells us that no one shall be subjected
to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 5) and no one shall be
subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile (Article 9). Other articles include the right to
freedom, respect and security. Australia is a signatory to this Declaration. The Convention Relating to
Status of Refugees is another to which Australia is a signatory. This Convention states that persons
are free to seek asylum in other states where that person has a real fear of being persecuted in their
state of origin!
But I must be thick. Very thick! Each day I read or hear the term ‘illegal immigrants’. I certainly
understand that many people are opposed to people hopping on a boat and attempting to gain
residence in our country – one of the most sparsely populated countries on the face of the planet.
They are entitled to this opinion. But for the sake of clarity can we not understand that these folk are
not illegal – they are entitled to make this trip for fear of persecution.
Think about this. You are a parent of a child or children. For whatever reasons you have decided that
where you live is not safe to live!. So you organise for you and your children to hop in a boat that is
not seaworthy, ill-equipped with food, water and communication for the purpose of travelling to
Australia. You have heard horror stories of families lost at sea, seen television shots of children
drowning as the boat is lashed against rocks. And yet you still opt for the dangerous trip. What could
possibly drive some people to make such a decision? In Australia we do not want our children
playing outside after dark!
If we resided in a country where people are persecuted, mistreated and face continual struggle day
in, day out what choices would we make. A life where the distinct reality is that your child may die
before the age of 5! If, for the small amounts of money you have saved, you could offer your child a
long and fruitful life by taking a dangerous trip on the high seas, what choice would you make – stay
and remain in fear or try and live somewhere that fear does not exist.
I know what I would do.....does this make me thick? I am happy for the arguments to be thrown at
me but I do ask one thing beforehand. If it was your child what would you do?
And today I read of the city of Johannesburg and that it is accepting some 200,000 refugees per year.
Good on you Johannesburg for showing the world that a little bit of selflessness can go a long way.
Good on you Johannesburg for sharing the little that you have with others in need.
Good on you Johannesburg for showing the world what can be done
Good on you for showing up the richer nations on earth that they are indeed greedy, misinformed
and ready at the drop of a hat to throw up another excuse. Shame on you Australia! Shame on you!
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