Terry Sarten: Flight from violence an issue on home front too

EXODUS: Migrants and refugees - mainly from war-torn Syria - walking toward Austria from the Hungarian capital Budapest this week.

"You don't have to live like a refugee" is a line from a catchy Tom Petty song ...

The lyrics appear more about abandoned love than people fleeing war and oppression but, nevertheless, that line of the song has been playing in my head a lot of late.

The images of drowned children, distressed families and desperation on the faces of the hundreds of thousands running towards what they hope will be safety and freedom have been in the media every day over the past weeks.

The dilemma for Europe has become a shared concern for many New Zealanders. The Government decision - steered by public pressure - to lift our refugee intake is but a small gesture toward a massive problem, but it is the least we can do as global citizens.

My parents took in two young refugees many years ago and the contribution made to their new country by these two brothers has been honourable. For this reason alone, I support the notion that New Zealand can and should offer a home to those fleeing totalitarian regimes and war.

The huge numbers of refugees crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy boats, then trekking across Europe are part of a long history of people migrating towards safety and away from war. The current destinations - Germany, France, Norway, Sweden and Britain - show democratic countries provide the best shelter from civil wars, the machinations of dictators and the power struggles that crush the lives of civilians.

These refugees are not so keen on remaining in countries such as Hungary and are not even attempting to get to Russia. It should be a point of pride that New Zealand is included among the countries where governments do not declare war on their own citizens or use torture and imprisonment to rule by fear.

We also need to acknowledge the internal refugees who also flee the tyranny of violence within our own borders.

The name for one of our key providers of shelter and support is an organisation called Women's Refuge, and the name should be a clue to understanding how women and children can become refugees in their own country. Often they flee the risk of injury or death with only what they can carry, moving in secrecy to avoid reprisal.

Their trek towards safety may be across the country to a new town, while always aware of the need to be watchful, prepared to move quickly should a violent ex-partner discover where they are living.

The huge financial resources and energy geared to combating terrorism should incorporate the same level of action to identify perpetrators of family violence and be turned to reducing the risk of domestic terror in homes.

If Government can find reasons to intrude on our freedom by capturing huge swathes of data on the pretext of watching for potential terrorists, they can also turn this considerable technology to monitoring and responding to phone and internet traffic that includes clear threats of domestic violence.

We may not be happy about being spied on by our own Government but if that meant the vulnerable members of our communities were better protected, it may be worth it.

As we look on at the refugee crisis in Europe, we must not lose sight of the refugees in our own land and work together, regardless of politics, religion, gender, age or ethnicity (domestic violence is no respecter of any of these) to change the dynamic that powers domestic violence.

-Terry Sarten is a writer, musician and social worker - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz