The last time I wrote about refugees, I kept getting a certain type of comment. That people like my parents were the right kind of refugee. The good ones. Deserving of a place in Australia.

On Sunday, as I watched Australia play Turkey in the World Cup among a crowd gathered in Melbourne’s Federation Square, I wondered if the same standard would be applied. Then Nestory Irankunda scored the first of two world-class goals. Turkey, despite having possession of the ball for most of the match, lost. The crowd went wild.

“Nestory Irankunda, have my children!” one fan roared.

“This is for the real Aussies,” another commented under a Guardian Australia video. “Just awesome Aussies getting behind our team.”

This was a moment of Australian exceptionalism. It’s part of a narrative we........

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