• Deal to deport Afghan asylum-seekers finalised

    Deal to deport Afghan asylum-seekers finalised

    It was reported in last week’s online edition of The Australian newspaper that Australia and Afghanistan have finalised an agreement for the return of failed Afghan asylum-seekers.  The article goes on to cite a source familiar with the negotiations who states that a memorandum of understanding outlining the deportation process could be signed as early

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  • Reflections on a tragedy

    Reflections on a tragedy

    In the aftermath of Wednesday’s disaster there is much to mourn.  At least 30 men, women and children died in the rough waters surrounding Christmas Island.   As yet, the authorities have not yet been able to ascertain the exact number of people on the boat.  Survivors have given estimates of 70-100 on board.  With only

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  • Part II: Coalition’s radical new policy is no solution

    Part II: Coalition’s radical new policy is no solution

    Last week, the ASRC revealed the inaccuracies in Morrison’s announcement of a radical shift in the Coalition’s refugee policy (see Part I). His major new proposal was to refuse Afghan asylum seekers who arrive “illegally” in Australia and subsequently exchange them for refugees in camps bordering Afghanistan. In last week’s blog, we debunked two of

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  • Part I: Coalition’s radical new policy is no solution

    Part I: Coalition’s radical new policy is no solution

    Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison announced a radical shift in the Coalition’s refugee policy last week in response to the record number of boat arrivals and subsequent overcrowding of Australia’s detention centres. While presenting the long-standing coalition policy of turning back the boats and reintroducing offshore processing and TPVs as the “the first solution,” Morison

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  • The Taliban leader and the shopkeeper

    The Taliban leader and the shopkeeper

    After nine years of fighting in Afghanistan there is growing recognition that whatever semblance of victory is still possible will not be achieved militarily.  In recognition of this reality, NATO forces and the Karzai Government have for months been engaged in talks with a ‘senior Taliban leader’ in the hope of attaining a political resolution

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