tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906396.post5325575930574847520..comments2023-11-15T18:36:00.714+11:00Comments on Seeking Asylum Down Under: Refugees in Australia - Q & A (v) - If someone can pay people smugglers, can they be a refugee?Alteregowunderbandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18329114155068414378noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906396.post-64746012641828764922007-07-01T14:06:00.000+10:002007-07-01T14:06:00.000+10:00Spot on. Quite a few refugees I have met have bee...Spot on. Quite a few refugees I have met have been highly educated, middle class people who have fallen foul of their repressive government.Alteregowunderbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18329114155068414378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906396.post-77074409309406197202007-07-01T10:31:00.000+10:002007-07-01T10:31:00.000+10:00I also think it's worth pointing out the obvious -...I also think it's worth pointing out the obvious - 'refugees' as a group, are not a subset of 'poor people'. Wealth has nothing to do with political persecution. Paying smugglers is faster and safer than obtaining a legitimate passport and fleeing 'legally'. In Burma, at least, a person can make arrangements to flee and be in another country in a matter of days or less. I guarantee there are more than a few lives that have been saved by this situation. When a friend calls you and tells you the police are at your house, and you need to leave as quick as possible, you really need to leave as quick as possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com