It's time to debunk some myths about refugees.

There’s no greater time to call for solidarity and compassion than on World Refugee Day during Refugee week.

And at a time when the harrowing details about detention centres are coming to light, we think it’s time to change the conversation from what refugees cost us, to what they actually can do for our society.

Now is the time to get our facts straight about refugees, and make sure that our conversations are centered on compassion and knowledge and not ignorance and vitriol.

So, if you’re part of collective that shouts loudly about ‘illegal’ immigrants ‘jumping the queue’, let’s talk about it. Because firstly, there’s no such thing as an ‘illegal’ refugee, because it’s simply not illegal to seek asylum in Australia, regardless of the means they use to get here. And as for the queue? There is no queue. Full stop. The resettlement process is more like a lottery.

Even more alarming is the argument that some believe refugees are flooding into Australia, snatching jobs and having a monopoly on our resources. In fact, for every 1000 people in Australia, there are 1.3 refugees.

So if you find yourself engaging in this conversation during such an important week, make sure your arguments have substance and your claims have worth. Because it’s time to bust-up the myths.

You can find more information on Refugee Week here.