''I know this has become a highly politicised, deeply divisive debate and I think it's time that we looked to our humanity and compassion,'' she said. ''What I do reflect on is that there are a lot of people in the world who are displaced because of war, famine, oppression - and it is really important that, as part of the United Nations, we welcome people to this country who are fleeing all of that.''

Ms Rein's European business trip was a first chance to focus again on Ingeus Ltd, the welfare-to-work placement company she founded in 1989, after having to balance being a businesswoman and a public figure.

''I wanted to do my best as first lady and I also wanted to keep contributing at work … I'm really, really happy to be back and doing that more,'' she said. ''The opportunity of serving as the wife of the prime minister, that was an enormous honour … and I wouldn't have missed that for the world, but I'm really enjoying what I do now.''

The company has expanded its operations into Spain but Ms Rein was tight-lipped about any plans to return to the Australian market.

''The reason we are not here in Australia doing this is an accident of history rather than because I don't think that there are people here who we would be able to assist.