@JLeslie I live in Sydney, Australia. This means two things. First, we have large numbers of people that get on leaky, dangerous boats to come here via Indonesia. We have an immigration policy that is designed to act as a deterrent to people considering the voyage. Second, I live in one of the most culturally diverse cities on the planet. My opinions below are not typical of my country, but they are what I have observed.
Regarding the first point, of course Australia is a prime destination for immigration. But we’re also a long way from the world’s conflict zones. In order to come here, refugees must either be part of the official program, or they must come through half a dozen safe countries. Therefore they were safe before ever embarking on the voyage to get here. That means they’re not looking for safety alone, but also our economic advantages. Additionally, they regularly riot in our detention centres and burn down what we taxpayers have provided. Surely a safe haven with provided food and clothing should be something to be grateful for, even if it is surrounded by fences? As such, apart from our official refugee programs, an ideal immigration policy for my country would be biased towards those with skills we lack, or existing financial means. We’re a popular destination, so why shouldn’t we only take the people who can contribute the most to our society and economy?
Regarding the second point, we Australians pride ourselves on openness and tolerance. We have a proud history of immigration. European WWII refugees practically built our entire existing infrastructure and business environment. However in recent times, certain cultures have taken advantage of our tolerance to bring their intolerance here. Just this week, a primary school was found to be exempting Islamic students from participating in the national anthem. Parts of my city have whole streets where I can’t tell an accountant from a chiropractor, because I can’t read the signs. There’s almost an Orwellian editing of our history to avoid giving offence to cultural groups that show no tolerance themselves.
I am more than happy to continue our proud tradition of immigration, provided every new Australian satisfies two criteria. They must be willing to participate in our culture socially, rather than rebuilding the environment they sought to leave, and they must be able to benefit those of us who have already worked hard to build what we have. And to enforce such rules, we need strong borders.