Borderline: Australia’s Treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers

“The more we seek to deter asylum seekers and refugees through harsh treatment, the more Australia comes to resemble the repressive nations from which they flee.”

Over the past two years the arrival of ‘boat people’ on the Australian coast has reignited fears of a massive influx of refugees and asylum seekers. The response of the Australian government has helped to generate unease in the community, obscuring many of the real issues that arise when people seek sanctuary within Australia’s borders.

In this provocative book Peter Mares opens up the legal, moral and political questions posed by Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. He visits Woomera, site of Australia’s biggest and newest immigration detention centre, talks to refugees, their lawyers, detention centre staff and the Australian immigration minister, and reports in detail on cases which pose significant questions about the direction of Australian policy.

Drawing on a wide range of official and non-official sources Mares paints a compelling and disturbing picture of Australian policy in action. Borderline: Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers makes a major contribution to the debate on Australia’s approach to refugees.