Gaza intake strains our generosity … and security

Many are questioning the wisdom of the Albanese government’s decision to grant visas to Palestinian refugees fleeing the war in Gaza. More 3000 applications have been approved and 1300 Gazans have already been resettled here — but Australians have valid concerns about the sympathies of these refugees.

Given our vibrant multi-ethnic society, questions about the adequacy of visa security checks are hardly motivated by racism or fears about foreigners coming to our country. Nor is it that the deep wells of our compassion have suddenly run dry, as you might think t if you listen to Greens senator David Shoebridge or Amnesty International.

The global refugee problem is growing because of war and famine, and Australia welcomes those who will enrich our society and boost our economy with their skills and talents.

We also have a generous refugee program. In 2023 we pledged $250 million to support refugees and committed to raising the number of resettlement places to 30,000 per year. But Australia can’t take in everyone who wants to come here as a refugee, and nor should we. And those we do take in need to benefit our society and not pose a security threat.

Hamas, the as-yet undefeated ruler of Gaza, is no friend of the West. Indeed, many of the friends it does choose — such as Iran — are sworn enemies of all that the West stands for.

So the freedoms we cherish in Australia — of speech, religion, conscience and association — are not only despised by those enemies; they are ruthlessly suppressed.

Hamas is notorious for the cruelty and brutality it metes out on its own citizens. Yet it remains popular in Gaza, where it has ruled since 2007, and recent polling by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) showed support rising.

Before the war, support for Hamas stood at 22 per cent. Seven months later, that support had risen to 40 per cent, and now even fewer Gazans favour peace.

The PCPSR poll showed 54 per cent support armed struggle and 76 per cent think Israel will be defeated in the war. A mere 16 per cent want a negotiated peace.

If this polling is to be believed, it seems that despite horrendous suffering in the war, most Gazans still support Hamas in its fight to defeat Israel.

From all this, it seems reasonable to suppose that many Gazan refugees fleeing the conflict are likely not only to hate the Jewish state, but also to share Hamas’s hatred for the West.

And that is why this concern about the security of Australians — rather than our alleged incipient racism — is what really lies at the heart of the spat about visas for Gazan refugees.

Britain, France and Germany have all endured stabbings, mass slayings and bombings by ‘refugees’ resettled from conflicts in Afghanistan and Syria under generous programs.

Like us, the people of those host countries have an innate sympathy for victims of war and persecution. But unlike us, they have already paid a high price for that sympathy.

The Gaza conflict has strained social cohesion in Australia. Aggressive protests laced with anti-Semitism and warnings about new security threat levels have heightened anxiety.

Australians are entitled to expect their government to ensure the safety of our communities by taking care not to import any who might be deadly enemies of our way of life.

Countries where Gazan refugees might be expected to feel more at home — such as Egypt and Jordan — have resolutely shut their borders and have hindered flows of people and aid.

Australia might better help to alleviate the plight of Gazans by adding to international pressure on those countries to show compassion for their Muslim brothers and sisters.

This is not fearmongering, nor is it racism; it’s common sense. Many who have fled war or persecution to settle in Australia are rightly filled with gratitude for our hospitality.

And we always stand ready to welcome more refugees who want nothing more than to settle here and rebuild their lives — and the lives of their kids — in peace and safety.

Our leaders owe a duty to all Australians to ensure compassion does not distort their judgment and that those who are the enemies of liberty do not make their home here.

Peter Kurti is Director of the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program at the Centre for Independent Studies. 

Photo by Mohammed Abubakr.