Immigration law can often be interpreted in ways that seem contrary to common sense

Law, and in particular immigration law, can often be interpreted in ways that seem contrary to common sense. I recall a 2014 Federal Court case where a child born in Australia to asylum seeker parents was deemed to have arrived in Australia by boat. An average person on the street may struggle to understand how a child born in Australia and with a Queensland birth certificate could legally be considered to have arrived by boat, but the technicalities of immigration law make it almost impossible for self-represented applicants to navigate it themselves. Those who work in this field need the compassion, determination, knowledge and creativity to challenge and test what is an incredibly complex and ever-changing area of law.