any person suffering such significant hardship as to feel forced to leave their own country, and having the motivation and energy to endure the abominable risk of migration, should be welcomed as an asset and jewel by any country lucky enough to adopt them.

the citizens of such countries should be intelligent enough to recognize the resources being handed to them.

the racism endemic in the Syrian crisis is disgusting to me, as i hear ppl deploring 'illegal' immigration and wanting to stop the boats, but crying out for the government to accept Syrian refugees. why? because they are white and boat people are not.

i've worked with refugees without ever knowing they were, until a Xmas party where years of friendship and built trust and hours of alcohol led to the truth. and it became so obvious in hindsight that if you can sit on a boat for three weeks with no food and little water and endure a detention center for 4 years THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS MORE OF.