With counting under way in the southern Sudan independence referendum, Xan Rice meets up again with a former resident of the Kakuma refugee camp, Philip Ngor Bol
17 Jan 11 Comments (0)Whatever happened to the right of asylum?
The tragic events at Christmas Island this week are a reminder of the importance of the right to seek asylum. But the debate about refugees and asylum seekers is confused by a misunderstanding of the origins of the 1951 Refugee Convention, writes Klaus Neumann
16 Dec 10 Comments (2)The beginning of the journey
Afghanistan’s Hazara people, targeted by the Taliban, still have a strong reason to seek protection from countries like Australia, writes Michelle Dimasi in Kabul
06 Oct 10 Comments (4)Remembering refugees
The parties are making promises like there’s no tomorrow and policy like there’s no yesterday, writes Klaus Neumann
20 Aug 10 Comments (0)The rising tide of border security
Border security has complex effects, many of them unanticipated, some of them pernicious and potentially destabilising, and some of them irreversible, writes Peter Chambers
28 Jul 10 Comments (1)Howard’s victories: which voters switched, which issues mattered, and why
The reasons for the Howard government’s electoral success are widely misunderstood, write Murray Goot and Ian Watson, and we can see the impact in the current campaign
23 Jul 10 Comments (1)Boats and votes: more evidence on the opinion gap
People might have strong feelings about asylum seekers, but there’s no sign in the latest polls that harsher measures are a vote winner, writes Peter Browne
16 Jul 10 Comments (1)Boats and votes
Labor power brokers persuaded Julia Gillard to toughen up on border protection because they believed the issue was damaging the party. But could the belief that boat arrivals influence the way people vote be one of the great myths of Australian politics, asks Peter Browne
06 Jul 10 Comments (6)Strange days on Christmas Island
A visit to Australia’s most remote outpost highlights the failure of the federal government to lead a rational debate, writes Klaus Neumann
24 Jun 10 Comments (1)A vote-changer?
Have party strategists got it right about the electoral appeal of targeting asylum seekers, asks Peter Brent
15 Apr 10 Comments (0)The asylum freeze and international law
Like the previous government’s asylum processing freezes, it’s likely that last week’s decision is based on an overly optimistic assessment of conditions in source countries, writes Savitri Taylor, and breaches Australia’s international obligations
14 Apr 10 Comments (0)Australia’s expanding borders
Our border cooperation with regional neighbours has entered questionable territory, writes Savitri Taylor
02 Dec 09 Comments (1)Winners and losers in Sri Lanka’s long war
Sri Lanka has been left deeply divided by its long-running civil war, in which China played a crucial but little-known role, writes Larry Marshall
13 Nov 09 Comments (1)The fifth ripple: Australia’s place in the global refugee crisis
Without more resettlement places, interception in Indonesia is pointless, argues Peter Mares in this overview of recent trends in refugee movement
12 Nov 09 Comments (4)Seeking an alternative to life in limbo
Facing an uncertain future in Indonesia, it’s hardly surprising that some refugees and asylum seekers try to continue on to Australia, writes Savitri Taylor
22 Apr 09 Comments (0)
The fifth wave
The human cost of turning back boats is too high, writes Peter Mares. So what are the alternatives?
21 Apr 09 Comments (3)Back to the mainland
Detention practices have improved, writes Michelle Dimasi, and it’s time for the government to take the next step
18 Mar 09 Comments (0)The Mediterranean solution
Italy’s new system for processing asylum seekers offshore – with its echoes of Australia’s Pacific Solution – is generating unrest on the tiny island of Lampedusa, reports Annika Lems
10 Feb 09 Comments (1)After the exodus
The latest release of cabinet papers is a reminder of the political stresses triggered by the arrival of Indochinese boat people in the mid 1970s. Bruce Grant, author of The Boat People, looks at those events and their implications
29 Jan 09 Comments (0)
