Hearing the news of the asylum seekers in Australia who were recently sent back home and a group who drowned as a result of capsized boat, I thought I should write this thought which has been in my mind for long.
As an Iranian, there are usually two images in your mind when you hear about refugee thing. One is the political refugees for whom life almost means death in Iran and the other group is the so called douchebags who have no skills and leave their home country to seek a better life without much effort. Many believe that the second group should not do so because they can have a better life in their own country through working if they stop being lazy. To them, these refugees who often lie and claim to be political activists when they seek asylum, are lazy people who want to live well without trying hard for it. They actually misuse the unstable political situation of their country. The real political activists are usually in prison or not legally allowed to leave the country. Besides, they can go abroad through working, education, etc. Why this method which is a degrade to their country and also their social life?!
I think this perspective can be criticized as human beings all have the desire to live better, and the fact that you are born in a bad condition does not mean that you don't deserve a better life. Moving out to developed countries for a more comfortable life has no problem if you look at it from a humanistic point of view; human beings equally have the right to live well, in a peaceful condition. However, accepting the world condition and geographical limitations and obligations, this will not work--Unfortunately! because then the whole population should move out and settle down in Europe or any other developed country because they all deserve a better life as human beings. On the other hand, when these people move and lie about their status, they sort of jeopardize the situation of the real political refugees, who might even get killed if not granted asylum. The records of those semi-literate people whose refugee status is accepted and those political ones who were sent back to their own countries and immediately imprisoned, show that asylum receiver countries are not professionals in recognizing whose life is in real danger and has to be helped. Moreover, if it often the case that those with higher social status are able to leave the country for education or work. Therefore, there is little chance for those with lower financial social status with lower education to improve or change their life or even leave the country in a legal manner. Are they doomed to that life? Don't they have the right to change it?! A counter argument would be "is that (lying) the only way to make a change?"
It's almost impossible to find out what's right and what's not. I often have these arguments in my mind when working with refugees. Life is damn unfair, isn't it?!
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