Travelling Refugee Class on Cloud 2012

By Ruth Skilbeck 

From Refugee to Business Class we're all travellers on life's finite journey. But 'tis easy to forget that when you're kicking back in comfort, cocktail in hand.

Flying high above those perilous boat journeys of the world’s refugees in July this year the Sydney Morning Herald reported that: “QATAR Airways has revealed it is talking to Qantas about a strategic partnership it says would allow it to increase its presence in Australia and give Qantas better access to Europe.”

Since the start of modernity the differences in fate of the worlds citizens has been symbolized in their modes of transport, and this is never more obvious than now in the era of globalization when the flights of the fortunate, in the free world, literally soar above those whose lives are at the mercy of the tides and laws of foreign countries they cannot control, the refugees of wars and conflicts and environmental disasters around the world.

This year we asked ourselves once again, and just once more, in Australia, is it really too much to ask of our government that we let in these poor unfortunate people who arrive on our shores through desperate life endangering and terrifying voyages across savage oceans, to let them land and be ‘processed’ here subject to the laws of our land, to become citizens if they pass the tests, and join the workforces, surely this is not beyond the capacity of our fortunate country?

And one more time we said well no and yes and no again.
At least not to those who come illegally and dangerously by boat.

But one thing is for sure: no-one would have wanted to be travelling refugee class in 2012. Who would think to do so unless conditions were intolerable and life-threatening in one's home country.

Let us spare a thought for all the millions of the world's refugees this Christmas festive season, as we sit down to our xmas dinners and drinks, for those who are not as fortunate as ourselves.