13
Jul
Why Europe shouldn’t follow Australia’s lead on asylum seekers
Australia’s harsh asylum policies have been touted as a possible solution to Europe’s so-called refugee crisis. Politicians in the UK, France, Holland, Denmark, Austria and Belgium have advocated for an Australian-style approach aimed at blocking asylum seekers from accessing Europe. But there are a few reasons Europe should be wary of following this lead. Australia’s... Read More
4
Jul
We cannot rely morally on ‘deterrence’ to justify our harsh refugee policies
Tony Coady, University of Melbourne When debate about refugees ascends from slogan swapping (“stop the boats”, “bring them here”) to specific reasoning, there seems only one argument worth considering for the ignominious detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru and the refusal to ever settle any in Australia. That argument, advanced by both... Read More
26
Jun
Film Review: “Border Politics” a Rymer Childs Documentary
“Border Politics” a Rymer Childs Documentary, now showing nationally. 94 mins. Refugee advocate Julian Burnside QC is the presenter of this Australian film, whose tagline is “I wonder where our democracy is going” and takes us on a tour of Europe, US, and the Middle East. From the RymerChilds documentary company, “Border Politics” is... Read More
25
Jun
The Limits to Regional Refugee Protection: the EU and ASEAN
The concurrent refugee crises affecting the countries of the EU and ASEAN since 2015 have brought to the fore long-standing questions regarding the feasibility of regional cooperation on refugee protection and responsibility sharing. The responses to the humanitarian crises in the Mediterranean and the Andaman Sea demonstrate the shared failure of the EU and ASEAN... Read More
16
Jun
Germany’s (not so) grand coalition may cause ripple effects on European refugee policy
After a tumultuous 2017 election and six months of political uncertainty, Germany finally has a government. The so-called “grand coalition” made up of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), its right-wing sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), will govern Germany for the next four years. At the centre of... Read More
12
Jun
Trauma, mental health and the fast track assessment caseload
On 18 October 2015 police found 30-year-old Khodayar Amini dead in his car in Dandenong Victoria. Moments prior to taking his life, he made a call to two refugee advocates in Perth and said ‘I can’t stay, I can’t stay” and ‘the immigration is killing me’. A subsequent coronial inquest found finding was he had... Read More
1
Jun
Vietnamese Refugee Facebook Reunions
After the Vietnam War, Vietnamese represented one of the twentieth century’s largest movements of refugees. From 1976 to 1990, over 500,000 Vietnamese were resettled all over the world. Facebook has since facilitated the development of the Vietnamese communities on-line who reunite in real time based on their identity as former refugees. With reference to a... Read More
21
May
The Hijab in the West: A Negotiation of Identity
The Hijab in the West: A Negotiation of Identity, exclusion/inclusion for refugee Muslim Women in Australia A handful of researchers have tried to understand the dramatic challenges to gender presentation of self of veiled or Hijabi migrant Muslim women in western society. The Hijab is a headscarf worn by Muslim women and it is the... Read More
7
May
Refugee Engagement with History Education in Inner-city Schools
As a History teacher in an inner London school, there is a huge amount of diversity between students’ backgrounds, beliefs, religions and traditions. Something that as a teacher I thrive off, and use in my reflective practice to address historical and cultural misconceptions constantly. With the worsening worldwide political climate, the amount of refugee students... Read More
24
Apr
Securing the Dreams of Scholars at Risk
*This contribution is provided by an anonymous author* People used to describe me as a dreamer. I am a dreamer in the sense that I dreamed one day I will find a cure for serious diseases, and I ended up working on colon cancer research at a prominent Australian University. There is a little story behind all... Read More