Australia should be generous, not punitive, when it comes to those seeking to escape war | Julianne Schultz |

The Australian immigration system has long punished people who felt they had no option but to flee their homeland Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast As the people in the Gulf countries are now learning, having a great and powerful friend on bases across your territory and in your waters does not guarantee safety. Indeed it may make you a target. It’s a lesson worth heeding.