A Vietnamese immigrant in Australia has explained the extraordinary lengths he went through to be safe.

Dr Tien Nguyen came to Australia by boat in 1980 because he was fleeing Vietnam after being a prisoner of war.

Despite knowing that the journey to Malaysia and then to Australia would be treacherous, he wanted to take a chance rather than suffer in his surroundings.

When he hit Malaysia, the only thing he had was the pair of pants he was wearing. The people who organised his boat took everything else, including his glasses.

After landing in Australia, he set up a doctor’s practice and has been helping his local community in Sydney for decades.

But that wasn’t it.

He’s told Therednow: “Deep down inside, I felt I was indebted so much to this life.

“So my way is to repay part of the debt by doing something unselfish. I organised a refugee support organisation in Australia.”

Tien added: “The best thing I love about Australia is the people.

“They look at similarities more than differences. I would not like to go and live anywhere else.”