Scrolling through the news this morning, I came across something that made me put down my latte and stare at the screen for a good minute. ICE is planning to track over 180,000 immigrants with ankle monitors, and - surprise, surprise - the company making these devices donated at least $1.5 million to Trump. It’s the kind of story that perfectly encapsulates everything that’s gone wrong with how we do politics these days.

The discussion around occupational downgrade among refugees has been doing the rounds online lately, and it’s got me thinking about how we frame these conversations. The headlines focus on refugees experiencing career setbacks after a decade in Australia, but the reality is far more nuanced than the sensationalist framing suggests.

What struck me most about the various perspectives shared was how many people pointed out that occupational downgrade isn’t unique to refugees at all. It’s a common experience for most migrants whose qualifications aren’t recognised here. One person mentioned downgrading from a PhD in Iran to become an MD in Australia - earning more money and finding the work easier. Another talked about taking ten years to rebuild their career path entirely.