Published by The Age
Asylum seekers arriving by boat at record levels
02/12/2011
They said
Labor’s national conference opens today and asylum seeker policy is expected to be a subject of much debate. The conference follows a month in which a record 920 asylum seekers and crew arrived by boat in Australia. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has proposed to change the party’s platform to lift Australia’s annual refugee intake from 13,750 to 20,000, on the condition it also discourage boat journeys by asylum seekers and adopt regional processing. Bowen’s proposal has been critised by Labor’s Left faction and Labor for Refugees convener Linda Scott, who supports the humanitarian intake being lifted but does not believe this should be tied in any way to off-shore processing.
Did you know
There is no evidence that off-shore processing has a deterrent effect on people coming to Australia to seek asylum. While Australia’s asylum seeker arrivals have increased, they remain comparatively small and are primarily the result of a well documented spike in conflict around the world. Processing these arrivals in a different country would amount to offloading this country’s obligations under the UN Refugee Convention and would damage Australia’s international reputation. People smugglers may be breaking the law, but asylum seekers are not and it is inhumane to punish asylum seekers escaping war and terror by sending them away to be processed in order to send a message to people smugglers.
In the news
14/12/2012
Gillard Government's asylum seeker policy adviser quits
Published by ABC Online
Frustrated with policies, mental health expert Harry Minas has quit the advisory council.
14/12/2012
Carr heads to Sri Lanka for asylum seeker talks
Published by ABC Online
High level talks are likely to centre around ways to stop people smuggling operations.
11/12/2012
Pakistani smugglers heed message
Published by The Australian
There have been decreases in asylum seekers coming from Pakistan, but not from Afghanistan.
11/12/2012
Delay to Indonesia air rescue plan
Published by The Australian
Plans to strengthen response and rescue procedures for Indonesian asylum seeker boats are under way.
07/12/2012
Asylum seeker Facebook: help or hindrance?
Published by SBS Online
A Facebook page set up by asylum seekers allows for unprecedented access to the immigration detention experience.
06/12/2012
Darwin asylum seekers flown interstate
Published by The Herald Sun
About 400 asylum seekers have been released from detention into the community on bridging visas.
06/12/2012
Chris Bowen vows to maintain 'controversial' asylum screening
Published by The Australian
The process of “screening out” asylum seekers even before they make their asylum claim remains.
06/12/2012
Tow-back policy to apply to Sri Lanka
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
A Coalition government would tow intercepted asylum seeker boats back to Sri Lanka.
05/12/2012
Asylum seekers drop court challenge
Published by The Australian
High Court challenge dropped as Tamils allowed to have claims processed properly.
03/12/2012
Call to give asylum-seekers a chance to contribute
Published by The Australian
The government’s refusal to grant work rights to asylum seekers has been heavily criticised.
30/11/2012
Refugees boycott Nauru process
Published by The Australian
Asylum seekers boycott basic interviews in Nauru, as their refugee claims are yet to be heard.
29/11/2012
Desperate pleas from asylum seekers via Facebook
Published by News.com
Asylum seekers in Nauru have set up a Facebook page, and are detailing their plight online.
29/11/2012
Coalition bid for asylum debate falls flat
Published by The Australian
A Coalition bill introduced to Parliament attempting to reintroduce TPVs has been disallowed.
25/11/2012
Manus refugee facility faces power threat
Published by SBS World News
Threats to cut power on Manus Island issued by landowners demanding compensation for the use of their land.
24/11/2012
Asylum seeker debate hits 'new low'
Published by ABC Online
The Government and Opposition announce further ‘deterrence’ measures in asylum seeker policy.
23/11/2012
Church groups were asked how to make life harder for asylum seekers
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Sources say that the DIAC has approached church groups, canvassing them about tough new policies.
22/11/2012
Labor asylum-seeker solution swamped
Published by The Australian
Asylum seekers released in the community are likely to face severe economic hardship.
21/11/2012
Hundreds of asylum seekers to be released into the community
Published by The ABC
Changes made to the onshore processing network as pressure increases on Australia’s detention system.
21/11/2012
First asylum seekers arrive on Manus Island
Published by The ABC
Seven families have been transported to the Manus Island detention facility.
16/11/2012
Deported asylum seekers arrested in Sri Lanka
Published by ABC Radio Australia
32 men who were denied refugee status and flown back to Sri Lanka have been arrested in Colombo.
16/11/2012
Security risk refugee tries to end life
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Another immigration detention centre detainee has attempted suicide, the latest of many.
15/11/2012
Pakistan asylum seeker Fawad Ahmed to continue living, playing cricket Down Under
Published by The Herald Sun
An asylum seeker who helped the Australian cricket team train has been granted a permanent visa.
14/11/2012
Man 'willing to die' in asylum bid
Published by The Australian
An Iranian asylum seeker has entered the 34th day of his hunger strike in Nauru.
13/11/2012
Concerns over Fijian asylum seekers' roof protest
Published by ABC Radio Australia
Three Fijian asylum seekers are protesting on the roof of Villawood detention centre, fearing deportation back to Fiji.
09/11/2012
Rudd predicts asylum-seeker challenge
Published by The Australian
Kevin Rudd is concerned that the government’s offshore processing policy will be subject to legal challenge in the courts.
09/11/2012
Delays to processing asylum seekers causing trauma - UNHCR
Published by ABC Radio Australia
The longer it takes to start processing asylum seekers on Nauru the more trauma it will cause them.
09/11/2012
Why the increase in Sri Lankan asylum seekers?
Published by SBS
The Sri Lankan civil war may be over, but its effects are still obvious in Sri Lankan civil society.
09/11/2012
Five hundredth asylum seeker boat in five years
Published by The Australian
Five hundred asylum seeker boats have arrived in the last five years, as new arrivals are transferred to offshore detention centres.
08/11/2012
Refugees better off in Victoria than NSW
Published by The Australian
The CEO of the Refugee Council of Australia states that there is better funding and initiatives for refugee settlement in Victoria than in NSW.
02/11/2012
Asylum seekers on hunger strike
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
170 asylum seekers in detention in Nauru are on a hunger strike to protest their treatment by the government.
02/11/2012
Nauru asylum policy 'breaches international law'
Published by ABC Radio Australia
The Australian Human Rights Commission has condemned the asylum seeker policy and is considering taking the matter to the UN.
01/11/2012
UN attacks Canberra for asylum seekers' limbo
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has sharply criticised Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers.
31/10/2012
Mainland removed from zone for asylum seekers
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
A once-controversial measure that will excise Australia from its own migration zone has been introduced to Parliament.
30/10/2012
Asylum seeker boats on the rise since offshore policy
Published by the Age
The government’s offshore processing policy has failed to deter asylum seekers from making the journey to Australia.
26/10/2012
More refugees allowed to quell arrivals by boat
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The government increases its annual humanitarian intake from source and transit regions.
26/10/2012
Number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon passes 100,000 mark
Published by AlertNet (Thomson Reuters)
The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and neighbouring countries continues to grow.
19/10/2012
Long wait for asylum seekers under the Coalition
Published by The ABC
Detained asylum seekers could expect to spend at least five years in offshore processing centres under a Coalition Government.
19/10/2012
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
A suicide attempt already in Nauru as Australia’s immigration system continues to break down asylum seekers.
16/10/2012
More asylum seekers choose home over Nauru
Published by Radio Australia
Immigration officials say three more asylum seekers sent to Nauru by Australia want to return home, amid more reports of self-harm.
16/10/2012
Boatpeople 'to challenge ASIO' over assessments
Published by The Australian
Following a High Court decision, asylum seekers who receive a negative security assessment from ASIO will be able to have the assessment reviewed.
12/10/2012
UN raises alarm on asylum-seeker backlog
Published by The Australian
The UN warns the suspended processing since the Pacific Solution is creating a problem that could take months or years to clear.
12/10/2012
UN report criticises offshore processing plan
Published by ABC News
The UNHCR has said Papua New Guinea does not have the legal or regulatory framework to deal with refugees.
08/10/2012
Published by The Age
Refugees, the Karen, are the largest group of to arrive in Victoria in the past 5 years and actively engage in projects and stay in education.
05/10/2012
Trapped in the puzzle of security
Published by the Sydney Morning Herald
The High Court will decide if it is unlawful to detain refugees indefinitely after being found a security threat by ASIO.
03/10/2012
Asylum seekers 'don't get cash, houses, gifts'
Published by the Herald Sun
False emails that have been circulating for nearly a decade have attributed to the resentment towards asylum seekers settling in Australia.
02/10/2012
Published by the Green Left Weekly
The formal end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 does not entail the end of the abuse of human rights and the safety of Sri Lankan Tamils.
27/09/2012
Australia Intercepts 2 More Asylum Boats Near Cocos Islands
Published by The International Business Times
Two asylum seeker boats carrying 103 people have been intercepted near the Cocos Islands.
26/09/2012
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Over 120 asylum seekers have been moved from Christmas Island to mainland detention centres, while 19 Sri Lankans have abandoned their asylum claims.
26/09/2012
3 Indonesian people smugglers jailed after deadly asylum seeker boat crash
Published by The Washington Post
Three Indonesian men have been sentenced to more than five years in prison for people smuggling.
25/09/2012
Fears asylum returnees will face persecution
Published by ABC News
A Sri Lankan asylum seeker abandons his claim for refugee status amid fears for the safety of those returning to Sri Lanka.
23/09/2012
Refugees prefer Sri Lanka to Nauru
Published by the Sydney Morning Herald
The Coalition has cast doubt on the processing of Sri Lankan asylum-seekers, despite the large number of genuine refugees backed by statistics.
23/09/2012
Australia 'accountable' for young on Nauru
Published by the Sydney Morning Herald
The UNHCR, child advocates and refugee lawyers hold deep concerns about the government’s plans to send children alone to Nauru.
13/09/2012
Australia to take 1000 Syrian refugees
Published by Herald Sun
The federal government has decided 1000 people fleeing violence-wracked Syria will be resettled in Australia.
08/09/2012
Refugee processor refuses 'rush' job
Published by The Australian
There will be no international involvement in the processing of asylum seeker’s claims when they first arrive on Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.
05/09/2012
Jakarta may refuse to take refugees at sea
Published by The Age
Indonesia has threatened to refuse future requests by Australia to transfer rescued refugees from one ship to another mid-ocean so they can be returned to Indonesia.
04/09/2012
Outrage over Coalition vow to turn back Sri Lankans
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The Coalition is vowing to turn back all asylum seekers from Sri Lanka after increased arrivals despite the ending of the country’s civil war.
31/08/2012
Nauru demands rights, freedom for asylum seekers
Nauru’s Foreign Minister Kieren Keke has voiced concern for asylum seekers who could be held on the island indefinitely.
31/08/2012
Young Afghan's second time unlucky
Published by The Age
Mahdi was a 17-year-old Hazara from Haidar, Afghanistan. He is now missing in the rough waters of the seas south of Java and presumed dead.
28/08/2012
Camps visit an eye opener for Asher
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Former public watchdog Allan Asher has criticised Australia’s breathtaking ‘’flint-heartedness’’ toward asylum seekers.
24/08/2012
A little care for refugees goes a long way
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Deeqo Omar, former refugee, has given the chance for refugee women to leave the welfare system and make an economic contribution.
23/08/2012
Australia to add 6000 refugees annually
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The federal government has confirmed resettling an extra 6000 refugees a year, boosting the intake from 13,750 to 20,000 this financial year.
20/08/2012
Nauru calls for more control over refugees
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Nauru Foreign Minister, Kieren Keke, has signalled Nauru wanted more control “to make the process as good as it can be – given what it is”.
15/08/2012
Refugees may face years of exile
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Labor’s revived Pacific Solution could see refugees “out of sight, out of mind”, spending years in exile.
13/08/2012
Panel Recommends Offshore Processing
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has backed the recommendations from the report of an expert panel on asylum seekers, saying the government will move urgently to restart offshore processing on Manus Island and Nauru.
12/08/2012
Boats arrive as politicians await experts
Published by The Australian
Three more boats arrive while Labor, Liberal and the Australian Greens outline their position on the upcoming expert panel’s report.
10/08/2012
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Michael Short addresses the demonising of Asylum seekers and highlights the contribution of former refugee, Desh, to our economy and society.
08/08/2012
Comment: The Australian Solution
What exactly is the problem? It’s perhaps the most serious question in the entire debate surrounding asylum seekers arriving by boat, and yet it is barely asked.
05/08/2012
What we should do now on asylum-seeker policy
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
David Manne of the Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre suggest developing a plan for refugees that has humanitarian outcomes at its heart.
03/08/2012
Refugees forced to live on $31 a day
Published by The Canberra Times
Thousands of asylum seekers are struggling to live on as little as $31 a day and have been forced to sleep on the floor, without a mattress in crowded share houses.
03/08/2012
Army link to asylum-seeker disaster
An Indonesian army officer has been accused of playing a key part in organising an asylum-seeker journey in which many as 200 asylum seekers drowned in 2011.
02/08/2012
Asylum seekers swim ashore at Cocos Islands
A boat carrying 67 Tamil asylum seekers has arrived undetected at the Cocos Islands. A local resident said that the said the people on board were exhausted and in need of food.
20/07/2012
Revising UN refugee treaty 'perilous'
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Australia’s human rights chief has warned there are ‘’real dangers’’ in any bid to revisit the United Nations Convention on Refugees.
20/07/2012
Overhaul of humanitarian intake urged
Published by The Australian
Fresh cries have been heard for Julia Gillard’s expert panel on asylum-seekers to recommend an overhaul of the humanitarian intake.
17/07/2012
Academic open letter condemns asylum action
Published by the Sydney Morning Herald
More than 200 academics and refugee experts are signing an open letter deploring parliament for failing to adequately address the asylum seeker issue.
06/07/2012
Former Defence chief warns against turning boats back
Published by ABC News
Forcing asylum seeker boats to turn back to Indonesia, could drive people to take “very desperate measures”.
05/07/2012
Pressure mounting to lift intake from Indonesia
Published by ABC: The World Today
The only way to effectively deal with people smuggling is for Australia to take more refugees from Indonesia and Malaysia.
29/06/2012
Asylum seeker impasse pathetic
Published by The Age Online
Julian Burnside has proposed an agreement with Indonesia that would involve processing claims for asylum in Indonesia and then giving them a ticket.
27/06/2012
Boat capsized off Christmas Island
Published by news.com.au
Boat capsizes off Christmas Island, with an estimated 150 people on board including women and children. The second incident in less than a week.
22/06/2012
Asylum deal would prevent deaths
Published by The Australian
Independent Rob Oakeshott says the opposition must strike a deal to allow offshore refugee processing to avoid further asylum-seeker deaths at sea.
19/06/2012
Scared, Persecuted, Threatened-what would you do?
Published by The Age
When discussing refugees in Australia our attention is most often drawn to self-interest and stereotypes rather than expressions of empathy for another.
18/06/2012
$3000 for an asylum voyage to nowhere
Published by The Australian
151 passengers would likely have died, if Indian police not intercepted their boat barely a nautical mile outside Kerala’s Kollam harbour this month.
09/06/2012
Opposition toughens refugee policy
Published by The ABC News
Asylum seekers who arrive in Australia without a passport or identity papers are being targeted in the federal Opposition’s new refugee policy.
08/06/2012
First Sydney families take in refugee boats overflow
Published by the ABC
The first asylum seekers to be billeted in Sydney homes arrived at the front doors of families last night.
06/06/2012
Asylum debate needs broader horizons
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Australia is part of a global community and needs leadership to engage in a conversation that extends past our own borders.
22/05/2012
Public opinion is turning against immigration
Published by The Telegraph
New research reveals a dramatic swing against border issues, with 51 per cent in favour of closing borders and ending immigration.
16/05/2012
Published by The Age
Asylum seekers branded security threats by the ASIO have been involved in a spate of suicide attempts inside the nation’s detention network.
10/05/2012
Spare room for an asylum seeker?
Published by the ABC
More than 1000 Australian families have volunteered to host asylum seekers awaiting a protection visa, in an effort to release more refugees from detention.
08/05/2012
Australia's unhealthy fear of boat people
Published by the Guardian
There’s widespread anxiety about boat people, but few migrants arrive this way. Is such ignorance good for the nation?
23/04/2012
Asylum seekers find no solution in East Timor
Published by The Age
Fleeing persecution, and after years of living in Malaysia as non-citizens, 26 Arakanese Muslims from Burma are left stranded in East Timor.
30/03/2012
Europe's dark day: NATO blamed for refugee deaths
Published by The Age
A catalogue of failures led to the deaths of dozens of refugees left adrift at sea, after distress calls went unanswered for days.
23/03/2012
Paul Keating slams 'racist' tone of asylum debate
Published by the Australian
Is the asylum seeker debate damaging to Australia’s reputation and standing?
21/03/2012
Harmony Day brings AFL to all Australians
AFL is largely unknown for recruiting refugees as players, but all that is about to change…
20/03/2012
New single process for all asylum arrivals
Publsihed by The Age
Do you think it was correct that boat arrivals were processsed under a different system to those arriving by air?
08/03/2012
Abbott pledges greater help for refugee women at risk
Published by the Sydney Morning Herald
Do you believe it is fair to cap the number of onshore humanitarian visas to 2,750 a year?
02/03/2012
Refugees finding their place in Broadmeadows
Published by Hume Leader
Did you know that the Victorian Arabic Social Services recently hosted a meeting to discuss Australia?s refugee resettlement program?
18/02/2012
Supporters dismiss claim of red carpet for refugees
Published by The Age
Supporters and the federal government are condemning claims that conditions for asylum seekers in community detention are ’’luxurious’’.
15/02/2012
UN chief calls for calm on refugees
Do you think that the Australian perception of refugees is unfounded, and needs to be calmed? Do you think it is the governments responsibility to change it?
14/02/2012
A third of boat arrivals to get visas
Published by The Age
Do you think releasing more asylum seekers from detention into the community on bridging visas is a postive step in policy?
13/02/2012
UN High Commissioner talks refugee issues
Published by the ABC
Do you agree with the UN’s High Commissioner Antonio Guterres that the asylum seeker debate is inflated?
06/02/2012
Amnesty visits Australian detention centres
Published by ABC News
Amnesty International has begun a fact finding mission of Australia’s detention facilities.
29/01/2012
Fears for 17 missing refugee children
Published by The Age
Did you know that the Immigration Department have failed to report the disappearance of refugee minors?
24/01/2012
Published by The Canberra Times
Do you think it is fair to put asylum-seekers and the Australian Defence Force at risk by turning boats back to Indonesia?
22/01/2012
Boat plan could spark navy deaths, Indonesia backlash
Publsihed by The Australian
Do you think that Australia should turn back asylum seeker boats, even if it means endangering the lives of the navy and asylum seekers?
22/01/2012
Published by 7 News
An article linking the 25 per cent increase in Afghan refugees last year to lack of confidence in the Afghan government.
15/01/2012
Give boat people a go: Baillieu
Published by The Age
Premier Ted Baillieu encourages Australians to welcome refugees, including those arriving by boat, by comparing their arrival to that of ANZAC hero Simpson and his donkey.
14/01/2012
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The government agency ASIO, in charge of security assessments for refugees, continues to come under attack for its flawed decision-making and lack of review.
10/01/2012
Leader slams Gillard's Malaysia Plan
Published by The Age
Malaysian opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, slams the government’s proposed plan to send refugees and asylum seekers to Malaysia.
20/12/2011
End people smuggling by raising the intake
Published by The Age
An opinion piece about the recent tragedy off the coast of Java in which 200 lives were lost, discusses the most viable solutions to end people smuggling.
15/12/2011
Canberra loses third refugee case
Published by The Age
The Gillard government has lost a third High Court case over its treatment of asylum seekers.
13/12/2011
Playing politics in the asylum seeker debate
Published by ABC Online
This critical analysis debunks the misguided myths surrounding asylum seekers as a security threat, which are incited by populist politicians and the media.
10/12/2011
Asylum bids met 'sausage factory'-style rejections
Published by The Canberra Times
An article about a Federal Magistrates Court ruling regarding a member of the Refugee Review Tribunal.
09/12/2011
Sixty years on, refugee convention comes second to politics
Published by The National Times
An international argument for the humane treatment of asylum seekers.
06/12/2011
06/12/2011
Boat people deserve equal rules
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
An opinion piece that advocates for equal treatment of asylum seekers irrespective of their mode of arrival in Australia.
06/12/2011
Minimum sentence, maximum injustice
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
An opinion piece that examines how children working on people smuggling boats are wrongly identified – and then jailed- as adults under Australian law
02/12/2011
Asylum seekers arriving by boat at record levels
Published by The Age
Immigration minister Chris Bowen has proposed to lift Australia’s annual refugee intake on the condition it also adopt regional processing.
01/12/2011
Doing the right thing can end boats hysteria
Published by The Age: Opinion
A critical analysis of misguided media perceptions regarding asylum seekers.
30/11/2011
Immigration failed to heed signs leading up to riots
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
New report has revealed the Immigration Department had ample warning about the possibility of riots in its main detention centres.
28/11/2011
Release from detention offers a ray of hope
Published by The Age
Mohammad Dostizada is one of the 27 asylum seekers released on Friday on bridging visas.
25/11/2011
Australia Eases Policy on Detaining Asylum Seekers
Published by The New York Times
The increased use of bridging visas is a positive shift in Australia’s refugee policy.
25/11/2011
Bridging visas to be issued for boat arrivals
Published by Chris Bowen MP Media Centre
The implementation of bridging visas for certain asylum seekers suggests a move away from inhumane indefinite mandatory detention.
23/11/2011
Detention centre company fined $14.8m
Published by The Age
The company in charge of Australia’s immigration detention network has been fined $15 million for failing to fulfill its duties and underperformance
21/11/2011
Australia has enough illegal immigrants to fill a city
Published by The Courier Mail
The high number of illegal immigrants living in Australia dwarf the number of asylum seekers awaiting assessment and that arrived by boat in 2010-2011.
16/11/2011
Afghan deportation down to the wire
Published by The Age
Is the proposed deportation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers a humane solution for those denied refugee status?
15/11/2011
100 boats and we're still counting
Published by The Daily Telegraph
With many boats still arriving, questions are raised about the effectiveness of current and future Australian immigration and border security policies.
02/11/2011
Growing number of refugees fail ASIO assessment
Published by Lateline – The ABC
Are refugees with adverse ASIO security assessments status a threat to national security, or is their indefinite mandatory detention an issue of human security?
26/10/2011
Refugee's death sparks fresh debate
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The death of a refugee in an Australian detention centre has raised concerns regarding the health and welfare of those facing long term mandatory detention.
25/10/2011
Detention centres breaking people - report
Published by The Herald Sun
Indefinite detention has terrible consequences for vulnerable asylum seekers, and the Australian community as well.
07/09/2011
'Unrest warning as Abbott urged to dump Nauru'
Published by ABC News
Will processing asylum seekers onshore really lead to widespread social unrest in the Australian community?
01/08/2011
AFP can force asylum seekers onto planes: Gillard
Published by ABC News
It has been revealed that police officers will be allowed to use force to get asylum seekers onto planes to Malaysia.
28/07/2011
Malaysia refugees threaten to get on boats
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Will the Malaysia deal really stop asylum seekers getting on boats to Australia, or will it actually increase the number of boats?
25/07/2011
Australia and Malaysia sign 'refugee' deal
Published by Al Jazeera
What is the international news saying about Australia’s newly signed deal to send asylum seekers to Malaysia?
11/07/2011
Don't detain boat people, says expert
Published by The West Australian
Australia’s policy of automatically detaining asylum seekers who arrive by boat has once again generated international criticism.
04/07/2011
Published by The Age
A new law has been passed that could result in refugees who are involved in detention riots being denied visas. Is this fair?
30/06/2011
Boats slower since Malaysia proposal: govt
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Has the Malaysia deal slowed down boat arrivals, or are there other factors at play?
27/06/2011
Study reveals new pillars of society
Published by The Adelaide Advertiser
A new study shows the high economic and social rewards of accepting refugees and asylum seekers into Australia
25/06/2011
Asylum seekers are gold for jailer
Published by The Daily Telegraph
Since the costs are so high, why exactly does Australia detain asylum seekers in remote locations for years on end?
05/06/2011
Human rights 'critical' in refugee deal
Published by Herald Sun
The government has said that human rights will be included in any deal with Malaysia, but is yet to explain how this will work.
25/05/2011
Published by The Australian
Will the Malaysia deal ‘stop the boats’ and end people smuggling? Or will it lead to less human rights protection in the region?
24/05/2011
Manus governor wants detention sweetener
Published by ABC News
The Australian government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Manus Island for processing is still being considered by PNG officials
10/05/2011
Govt confirms detention cost blowout
Published by The Age
The federal budget includes a cost increase of 400% for managing seekers who arrive in Australia by boat. Why is immigration detention costing us so much?
08/05/2011
My Asia solution: PM to swap refugees with Malaysia
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Australia’s deal to swap asylum seekers in Australia with refugees from Malaysia has been heavily criticised by human rights groups.
22/04/2011
Buildings set alight in Villawood detention centre rooftop protest
Published by Sydney Morning Herald
Recent unrest on Christmas Island has raised questions about Australia’s detention framework
21/02/2011
Progress in moving kids from detention centres
Published by ABC News
The government has promised that no children will be held in detention centres in Australia. Refugee advocates say the process has been too slow.
17/02/2011
Almost all Afghans allowed to stay
Published by The Australian
Ninety-six per cent of Afghan asylum claims finalised last year were successful, contrary to comments made by Immigration Minister Chris Bowen last month.
02/02/2011
Asylum seekers refuse offer of cash and tickets home
Published by The Age
Returning asylum seekers to Afghanistan is proving very difficult.
31/01/2011
Canberra settles after destroying refugee boat
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
The government has paid compensation for the destruction of an asylum seeker boat after it was found the men who captained the boat did not do so for profit.
24/01/2011
Build asylum centre in Australia, East Timor tells Gillard
Published by The Sydney Morning Herald
Should we establish a processing centre for asylum seekers in East Timor?
15/12/2010
27 confirmed dead after asylum boat sinking
Published by ABC News
Authorities have recovered the bodies of 27 asylum seekers who died after their boat smashed into cliffs and sank off Christmas Island.
10/12/2010
Self-harm in detention centres on rise
Published by The Australian
A new report has found that incidents of self-harm and violence are increasing in Australia’s immigration detention centres.
22/11/2010
Asylum seekers are put in no man's land
Published by WA Today
What happens to people who aren’t given visas? Are they returned home? Are there other issues to consider?
17/11/2010
Published by The Drum, ABC
Instead of detention centres, should asylum seekers live in caravan parks?
17/11/2010
Not all children will be released from detention
Published by Australian Associated Press
Are children asylum seekers really being allowed to live in the community? Will all children in detention be released? Who will look after them?
07/11/2010
Boat people victims of a big lie
Published by The Daily Telegraph
Many people are concerned that Australia is being swamped by asylum seekers arriving by boat, but are there really too many arriving?
03/11/2010
Detention centre sends wrong message: Libs
Published by ninemsn
Do the location of refugee processing centres affect the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat? And are asylum seekers who arrive by boat illegal?
31/10/2010
Published by The Daily Telegraph
Is it unfair to give protection visas to asylum seekers arriving by boat if they are genuine refugees fleeing war and terror?
07/07/2010
Published by TodayTonight
Do asylum seekers in Australia receive special benefits? Is the reason people get on boats because they have heard about the great conditions in processing centres?
