Philip O'Carroll's Letters to The Editor

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The Refugee Dilemma

The Age        Friday, June 13, 2003

I applaud Zelman Cowen's call for generosity towards refugees (Opinion June 13), but his article says nothing to reduce the two main anxieties Australians have about the issue. We don't want to be overrun by countless millions. And we don't want to import a whole nation with values hostile to our own.

How many should we take? Let's agree on a generous but finite answer to this question. Where should they come from? Let's invite our generous number from a variety of needy places. Then perhaps we can relax and be hospitable.

Philip O'Carroll