Immigration

This is a factually accurate non-linear story regarding immigration. It is for a school project and any similarities to real people or scenarios are purely coincidental. You will play through this story as an immigration officer. You will select the time period you play in (note that the past is the late 1800s). For background information, it might be better to read my essay first. At the end, you will be given a unique resolution based on your decisions. Are you ready to [[play->Start immigration officer storyline]]? (set: $theirrelationship to 0)(set: $theirjobs to 0)(set: $marriage to 0)(set: $jobs to 0)(set: $home to 0)(set: $family to 0)

What time period do you live in? [[The present->Present (immigration officer)]] [[The past->Past (immigration officer)]]

(goto: "Present (refugee)")

It is the year 2018, and you sit down at your desk for another day's work. You look at the tall pile of files and sigh. You pick the first one up and flip it open. It is a family of four. A woman, a man, and two young girls. They are from Afghanistan. You are informed that they are waiting outside for their interview by your assistant, and you wave for them to come in. The father and mother sit on the chairs, and the little girls sit on their laps. You ask them about: [[Their relationship.->Present, officer, their relationship]] [[Their jobs.->Present, officer, their jobs]]

Your work is the same every time. Someone comes in, and you almost instantly send them back. You can hear their screams and cries through the bars of your window as the are dragged away by the police officers. "Next," you say tiredly. A young Chinese woman is brought in by an officer. You motion for him to leave. What language do you give the dictation test in? (link: "French")[(set: $dictationlanguage to "French")(goto: "Past, officer, 2")] (link: "English")[(set: $dictationlanguage to "English")(goto: "Past, officer, 2")]

(if: $theirjobs is 1)[It's time to ask about the parent's relationship and marriage. ]"Why did you two get married?" you ask. It is a standard question. "It was arranged marriage by our fathers," the woman said in a strong accent. "With our little angels now," she gestured to her daughters, "we wouldn't change it for anything. We were lucky with this - many marriages do not go well." "Hmm," you say, thinking over the answer. What do you mark on the file? (link: "The arranged marriage indicates that the family does not understand Australian values and laws regarding free will.")[(set: $marriage to it - 1)(goto: "Present, officer, their relationship 2")] (link: "Despite their circumstances, the family has acknowledged that arranged marriages do not reflect their values.")[(set: $marriage to it + 1)(goto: "Present, officer, their relationship 2")] (set: $theirrelationship to 1)

(set: $theirjobs to 1)(if: $theirrelationship is 1)[It is time to ask them about their jobs. ]"Ahem," you clear your throat. "What were your jobs when you were in Afghanistan?" "I worked in the mines," the man says slowly. You gesture to the woman. "The women do not work," the man clarified. "We see that in this country they do, and my wife would be more than happy to if this is necessary." The woman nodded in agreement. What do you write on the file? (link: "This family doesn't believe that women should work, which does not uphold Australian values. Just because they say the woman is prepared to work for the purpose of gaining entry to Australia doesn't mean they understand this.")[(set: $jobs to it - 1)(goto: "Present, officer, their jobs 2")] (link: "This family has acknowledged that in Australia we believe in gender equality and is prepared to change their usual traditions so as to uphold these values.")[(set: $jobs to it + 1)(goto: "Present, officer, their jobs 2")]

You scribble it down on the file. "How long have you and your partner known each other?" you ask. You can, by the age of the girls, guess about six or seven years. This time, the man answers. "We've been married for..." The man looks at his wife for confirmation. "Four years? But we have known each other for much longer." "And why is that?" you prompt. "How did you meet?" "My mother's brother is his father," the woman explains. "You're cousins?" you ask, slightly revolted, but you decide to seem as if you are calm. There is no reason to alarm the prospective immigrants. "Ah yes, cu-zins," the woman says slowly. "That is the word." "Are your daughters...erm...ill because of this?" you ask. "Oh, no," the man assures you. "Our angels are perfectly healthy." What do you do about this? (link: "Despite cousins legally being allowed to marry in some states, it is more of a technicality. Marrying your cousin is morally wrong and should not be modelled to other people in Australia.")[(set: $marriage to it - 1)(if: $theirjobs is 1)[(goto: "Present, officer, evaluate")](goto: "Present, officer, their jobs")] (link: "In some states, cousins can marry, the two girls have no health problems and the marriage was arranged. Because all the previous statements are true, is is not morally wrong for these people to be cousins.")[(set: $marriage to it + 1)(if: $theirjobs is 1)[(goto: "Present, officer, evaluate")](goto: "Present, officer, their jobs")]

You quickly write it down, preparing for your next question. "Do you have any education to work in other lines of work?" you ask. It is unlikely that the man will get a job in the mining industry and there has to be a way for him and his wife to support the family. "We have both completed our primary school education, and my husband has graduated high school," the woman says. "Neither of us have gone to university - is that a requirement?" You don't respond, but write something down on the file. What is it? (link: "One high school diploma in a family is not high enough an education to get a well enough paying job to support a family of four in Australia.")[(set: $jobs to it - 1)(if: $theirrelationship is 1)[(goto: "Present, officer, evaluate")](goto: "Present, officer, their relationship")] (link: "The family should not be kept out of Australia based on their education.")[(set: $jobs to it + 1)(if: $theirrelationship is 1)[(goto: "Present, officer, evaluate")](goto: "Present, officer, their relationship")]

(set: $presentscore to $marriage + $jobs)You have completed all of the necessary questions. You look down at the file, do a few calculations, and make note of their score. You look up and see the faces of the two parents anxiously waiting with their two daughters on their lap. (if: $presentscore > -1)["Congratulations," you say with a smile. "You have passed the interview." The parents give out sighs of relief and their daughters remain completely oblivious to the situation. "Thank you so much," the woman says gratefully. Your heart is warm - seeing people's reaction when their realise that everything they have done hasn't been in vain is what makes this job worth doing. [[The end.->The End]]](if: $presentscore < 0)[You wince. You hate this part. "I'm so sorry, but according to your responses to the questions I can't allow you to immigrate to Australia. The parents look absolutely crestfallen. You can only imagine what being rejected is like. "Thank you for considering us, anyway," the father says, disappointment leaking into his words. Your heart feels heavy. Sometimes, doing this job, you wish you could just let everyone in because it's almost impossible to say no to people. However, this is the way the system works. [[The end.->The End]]]

Thank you for playing through to the end. If you would like to play again, click [[here->Introduction]]. Remember that others will be around and might enjoy playing through the game. If you would like to view the sources used to make this piece of work, click [[here->Sources]].

If you would like to play again, click [[here->Introduction]]. Remember that others will be around and might enjoy playing through the game. - https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/test-and-interview/learn-about-citizenship-interview-and-test - https://mnvisa.com/sample-partner-visa-interview-questions/

"I will give you a dictation in $dictationlanguage," you say, handing her some paper, a pen and some ink. "Complete it as well as you can." You quickly run through the 50-word dictation. When you take the paper back, expecting to find it riddled with mistakes, you find a mistake-free paragraph in a neat hand. You look back up at her, surprised. [[Do your job and give the test again.->Past, officer, test 2]] [[Let her pass through.->Past, officer, let her pass]]

(if: $dictationlanguage is "English")[(set: $dictationlanguage to "French")](if: $dictationlanguage is "French")[(set: $dictationlanguage to "English")]"Okay, now try it in $dictationlanguage," you say. You give the dication, and, as you expect, the paragraph is riddled with errors. You are about to tell her she didn't pass when you see the look of despair on her face. You... [[Tell her she passed.->Past, officer, let her pass]] [[Tell her she failed.->Past, officer, she failed]]

"You can go through," you mutter. "You're into Australia." The thanks you profusely in Mandarin. You get a few strange looks from some of your coworkers as she is allowed into the country. Later that week, you have nearly forgotten about the young woman. You are genuinely confused when your boss angrily storms into your office. "Can I ask," he says, his voice wavering dangerously like a volcano about to erupt, "why you allowed this woman into our country?" You suddenly realise who he is talking about. "She passed the test," you say. "I had no choice." "No choice?" your boss says angrily. "//No choice//? You could have //chosen// to do your //job//." "I did do my job!" you respond. You're treading with a dangerous lack of care on very thin ice. "You're job was to give the test again," your boss says. "Do you know what happens if people like you continue to allow people like //her// into Australia? Poverty. Famine. Disease. This is why we have to stick with //our people//. We have to protect our own, and you did the exact opposite. You have to remember who you are loyal to." What do you say? [[Respond with anger.->Past, officer, angry at boss]] [[Apologise.->Past, officer, apologise]]

You stand up, looking your boss right in the eye. "I am loyal to Australia," you say. "I am loyal to the laws that have been put in place in this country to protect its citizens. The law is that I may give the test as many times as I see fit. This woman had an impeccable knowledge of $dictationlanguage and I don't see why it was necessary to give the test again." There is a terrible moment of silence. A bead of sweat rolls down the back of your neck. "You think you're clever, don't you?" he whispers. Then he raises his voice to a shout. "You're fired, is what you are!" You are immediately kicked out of the building. You spend the rest of your days in a canning factory. Sometimes you wonder why you chose this life, but then you remember the woman that walked free of the government's prejudige and realise you did what you did for a better world. [[The end.->The End]]

"I'm so sorry," you say quietly, backing down. "It won't happen again." You mean what you say. Your boss leans back. "It better not," he says, exiting the room. You are lucky enough to keep your job. You let that woman go free, but you don't dare to do it again for fear of being fired. You put some good in the world, but is it really enough considering what you did afterwards, sending innocent people away for no reason? [[The end.->The End]]

"I'm sorry," you say, "but you haven't passed the test." She looks so upset you are afraid she will cry, but she just nods, thanks you for your time, and walks out. Years later, you are promoted high-ranking, well-paying position in the immigration office. Even then, you can't shake the memories of all those people you deported for no real reason when you were a lowly immigration officer. You could have changed people's lives - but you refrained. [[The end.->The End]]

Your native country was too difficult to live in. War plagued your city and shrapnel littered the floor of your humble stone hut. It was late at night when you ran away with your mother and younger brother with only the clothes on your back. You are 13 years old, and already you have experienced words things than most people will experience in a lifetime. Your memory is a blur. Arriving in a mysterious country and almost immediately being deported to another one. Life is miserable in these rooms. You're sometimes underfed. There is a girl two or three years younger than you that shares your bunk and she is horribly ill, but she isn't getting proper treatement. Hearing her violent coughs at night feels like hearing your death sentence. You don't get the luxury of completing your education, as you so hoped you would. You barely get the luxury of having enough on your plate to sustain you, or enough blankets on your bed to protect your from pneumonia on the cold nights. You have to remind yourself over and over again that you do this because it was better, safer than what you left behind, but it's hard to remember sometimes. It's late a night, and the girl above you is coughing again. What do you do? [[Ask her if she is okay.->Ask girl if she is okay]] [[Ask the girl for her name.->Ask girl her name]]

There is a short moment of silence. "I don't think so," the girl says. "I'm not sure. No one will tell me." "What do you mean?" "There aren't any doctors here," she says. "There are some 'nurses', but they only help with colds and papercuts. I think they know I'm worse, but all they give me is some ice to suck on and basic painkiller." You're not sure what a painkiller is, but judging by the way the girl says the word bitterly you guess its a useless kind of medicine that won't really cure her. "I'm sorry," you say. "Oh, it's not that bad," she says. "People have had to deal with worse." You hadn't really thought about that. "My name is Cara," she says. You tell your name. What do you ask her about? [[Her life at home.->Her life at home]] [[Her family.->Her family]]

"My name?" she confirms, her voice hoarse. "It's Cara. What is yours?" You tell her your name. "Why do you always cough at this hour?" you ask her. "What is wrong?" She sighs heavily, and goes on to explain how sick she is and how she can't get treatment. "There are a few 'nurses' here, but they don't really know how to treat anything worse than a cold or a bruise. I'm not very well cared for. They don't tell me anything, but I expect I won't live much longer." You bite your lip. You think so much about how bad your life is that you don't really think about how others have it worse. You can't imagine being as sick as she is and not getting treatment, knowing you probably won't survive the next month. What do you ask Cara about? [[Her life at home.->Her life at home]] [[Her family.->Her family]]

"It wasn't good," Cara admits. "There were a lot of problems with plagues and sickness. A lot of my family started coughing, and then one day they started coughing up blood, and-" Cara interrupted her own speech with a fit of violent coughing. You hear a choked-back sob. You can tell she is upset about her family, but maybe that isn't the only thing. You think she probably knows that this will happen to her soon as well. "What about you?" she asks. You can teel she wants to change the topic. "War," you say. "As long as I can remember. There wasn't one moment of peace. Me, my mother and my little brother barely survived it. The bombed our house right before we left." "How did you escape?" There is a tone of awe in Cara's voice. "We ran to a boat," you say simply. "We had been building it in secret." "Wow," Cara says. You don't understand what's so special about your story in comparison with what she had endured.(if: $family is 1)[ [[Ask her about her family.->Her family]]](if: $family is 0)[ [[Continue with the story.->Refugee 2]]](set: $home to 1)

"I don't have much," Cara says. "My grandpa and my little cousin came here with me. My mother, father, grandma, siblings..." She can't continue, and her voice wavers. You don't push her to say any more. Instead, you... [[Sympathise with her.->Sympathise]] [[Tell her about your family.->Tell her about your family]] (set: $family to 1)

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"I'm so sorry for what you

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