It is a way of providing a solution for refugees who have been unable to find effective protection elsewhere, but is certainly not the standard or only "legitimate" way to find protection -- it's simply a different solution based on different circumstances. In fact, only a tiny minority (less than one per cent of the world's refugees) are resettled in third countries. The UN resettlement system does not work like a queue. The term "queue" implies that resettlement is an orderly process and, if you join the end, you are guaranteed to reach the front within a certain amount of time. In reality, the UN resettlement system works more like a lottery than a queue. Many refugees lack access to UNHCR's resettlement processes altogether and therefore simply do not have resettlement available to them as an option. Furthermore, refugees are prioritised for resettlement according to need, not according to how long they have been waiting. These needs fluctuate and are continuously reassessed. For example, conditions in a refugee-producing country may improve, allowing refugees from that country to return home if they wish; or conditions in a refugee-hosting country may deteriorate, placing the refugees in that country in greater need of resettlement. A person who has been waiting for resettlement for one year may be prioritised ahead of a person who has been waiting for 10 years, if the former's need for resettlement is assessed as being greater. "Asylum seekers who wish to seek protection in Australia should apply through the