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.