The slow increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australian waters is creating a slowly increasing number of  antagonistic public comments and complaints.  Immigration Minister Chris Evans understandably points to the deteriorating position in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan as a factor, as well as noting a “second supply chain” from [...]

In December last year, a report from the federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Migration unanimously recommended that “as a priority, the Australian Government introduce legislation to repeal the liability of immigration detention costs.”   That is, the law which raises a debt against people in immigration detention to cover the cost of their detention.  Legislation [...]

The irrational obsession with pulling out all stops to prevent asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia is placing our country at risk of being party to human rights abuses on refugees much worse than those of the Howard era. This week , the federal government is taking the unusual step of having the Prime [...]

I had an article published in the main Crikey e-newsletter today, outlining some of the trends, facts and government responses to the well over 40 million refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced and stateless people around the world. It seems likely the issue of asylum seeker boat arrivals will once again be moving closer to the [...]

Last weekend saw a festival held in Brisbane to mark World Refugee Day.  Over the last 30 years, south-east Queensland has seen a big increase in the range of ethnic communities with a refugee background. A growing number are from our region in South-East Asia. One of the newest emerging communities in Brisbane is the [...]

It is often asserted that the refugees arriving in boats to Australia could safely stay in countries such as Malaysia that they pass through on the way.  Before giving credence to such an idea, it is worth examining some of the evidence. The Chapter on Malaysia from the most recent World Report of Human Rights Watch [...]

It might make political sense, but there is very little economic sense or social benefits from spending more money to detain and warehouse refugees than we would in resettling them and gaining the benefit of their productive participation in the Australian economy and community.

It is very concerning to read in this article that Liberal Party leader, Malcolm Turnbull, has said that “certainly, the reintroduction of temporary protection visas (TPVs) should be high on the agenda.”  Even if you couldn’t care less about refugees, bringing back TPVs is the last thing we should be doing. Mind you, while Kevin [...]

A very familiar story is currently playing out in the Mediterranean Sea.  A cargo ship which has rescued asylum seekers from sinking boats is being blocked by an Italian coast guard vessel from sailing to Italy to offload the rescued people. Italy is suggesting that Malta should take the people, while Malta says Italian territory [...]