Professor Mary Crock says Politicians' "expedient obsession" with boat people is clouding the truth about Australia's refugee flows.

In an article for News Limited, Professor Crock states, "It's a great mystery why people get upset about boats - and it's disappointing that our Prime Minister is playing to the old politics.

"We have a small number of arrivals and the ones who arrive by boat are nearly always genuine refugees."

View the entire article - Most arrive by plane, not boat