Analyzing Refugee Issues: A Reflection on Collaborative Group Work

This essay reflects on the student's experience with group work focused on refugee infiltration in Australia. It discusses the history of refugees in Australia, the impact of Australian government policies like Operation Sovereign Borders, and the role of international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in protecting refugee rights. The reflection highlights the importance of organization, time management, and leadership skills gained through the collaborative project. The student also reflects on knowledge gained regarding immigration detention centers, the Kids Off Nauru campaign, and the significance of safeguarding human rights in addressing refugee issues. The essay concludes that group work was instrumental in learning about Australian policies and the effects of Operation Sovereign Borders, as well as developing crucial teamwork and leadership abilities.

Running head: REFLECTION ON GROUP WORK
Reflection on Group Work
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1REFLECTION ON GROUP WORK
The refugees started arriving in Australia since the last 170 years. The first group of
the refuges who arrived in Australia were the Lutherans from the region of Prussia. Australia
possess the international obligations that helps them in protecting human rights in relation to
asylum seekers along with refugees arriving within Australia. It was found at end of the year
2017 that there existed 25.4 million of the refugees in the global arena (Aph.gov.au. 2011).
This essay talks about the refugee infiltration taking place in Australia. The essay reflects on
my group work and how it had a major influence on me. The essay also talks about the
knowledge that I gathered with the help of my group work.
A large number of refugees in Australia come from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and
Myanmar. It has however been found that Australian government policy violates United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Refugees as Australia is a nation that involves itself in
imprisoning the refugees. It has been found that in the other countries refuges are released
into community at the time of processing of application. United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees was formed in the year 1950 that was aimed at protecting the refugees and
providing them with assistance in the arena of voluntary repatriation (Guajardo et al., 2016).
United Nations Human Rights Commission of 1951 acts as an instrument that protects the
fundamental rights of the refugees. It helps in ensuring that refugees have basic humanitarian
rights like shelter, housing along with food. The asylum policy of the year 2013 was tougher
as it introduced Operation Sovereign Borders that helped in putting military in control of the
asylum operation. The asylum policy states that the military vessels patrolling the Australian
waters are intercepting the migrant bodies and they are being towed back.
I learnt with the help of group work that organization was the most important aspect
in relation to group work. I was able to learn that organizing the activities can help the
individuals in working in a coherent manner. The task was divided into smaller pieces and
each part was assigned to a particular team member (Galegher, Kraut & Egido, 2014).

2REFLECTION ON GROUP WORK
Another team member was assigned with the task of finding out how Australia violated the
human rights. The division of the entire task into small parts helped in the completion of the
work within the stipulated time frame. A particular group member was assigned with the
responsibility of finding out the history of the refugees within Australia and to find out the
difference between that of refugees and the asylum seekers. We had to develop time line in
relation to the project that helped me in learning about time management skills. The
developing of time line helped us to complete work within the given time. The Gantt chart
was made by me that helped me in dividing the various responsibilities among the various
members of our team. Everyone was provided with the chance of discussing at the group
meetings that helped me in revealing important information in relation to the topic (Malekoff,
2015). In the beginning of each meeting, it was discussed that what would be achieved at the
end of each meeting. The team members were all provided with the opportunity of expressing
their point of view that helped in increasing transparency in relation to the project.
The group work helped me in learning about the art of group leadership. I was made
the leader of the project so I was able to learn group leadership skills with the help of this
group work assignment (Elliott & Reynolds, 2014). I was responsible for understanding
along with managing group interaction that helped in keeping a positive atmosphere in the
team. I encouraged everyone to make suitable recommendations that can help in successful
accomplishment of the task (Baines, Blatchford & Kutnick, 2016). Our group worked on
various ideas that helped me in assessing the advantages along with disadvantages in relation
to each idea. The ideas were ranked in priority with the help of consent of all the members of
the team. The group work had a great influence on me as I learnt how to eliminate ideas that
can diminish the quality of the project (Dobao, 2014).
The group work helped me in learning about Australian policies and Operation
Sovereign Borders. The group work helped me in gathering knowledge about the effect of

3REFLECTION ON GROUP WORK
Operation Sovereign Borders. The knowledge that I have been able to learn with the help of
group work is the role played by immigration detention center. I learnt that immigration
detention center had to detain the people who had breached visa conditions. I have learnt
from group work that immigration detention is held by Australia to be administrative function
that helps in detaining people having valid visa and it helps in consideration of their claims of
stay. I have learnt that non-governmental organizations had launched campaign by making
use of hashtag called Kids off Nairu. It called on the government to transfer remaining
children off the Nairu by the end of 20th November. I was able to learn that 119 children had
been put on Nauru detention. I have learnt that Kids Off Nairu campaign was instrumental in
transferring the children of Nairu to that of Australia in stages. I have learnt that safeguarding
the human rights can prove to be crucial for solving the problem of the refugees.
Refugees come to Australia from the regions of Iraq, Afghanistan along with
Myanmar. United Nations Human Rights Commission plays an important role in protecting
rights of refugees. It takes care of the fact that the refugees are provided with the basic
facilities like food, shelter along with housing. I have understood with the help of my group
work that organizing is an important aspect pertaining to group work. Organizing activities
can help individuals in increasing efficiency of the work. The group work was useful as I was
able to learn the skills of leadership with the help of group work. I learnt about the Australian
policies along with Operation Sovereigns Borders with the help of my group work. I was able
to gather knowledge regarding the effect of Operation Sovereign Borders with the help of my
group work.

4REFLECTION ON GROUP WORK
References
Aph.gov.au. (2011). Retrieved from
https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/asylumfacts.pdf
Baines, E., Blatchford, P., & Kutnick, P. (2016). Promoting effective group work in the
primary classroom: A handbook for teachers and practitioners. Routledge.
Dobao, A. F. (2014). Vocabulary learning in collaborative tasks: A comparison of pair and
small group work. Language Teaching Research, 18(4), 497-520.
Elliott, C. J., & Reynolds, M. (2014). Participative pedagogies, group work and the
international classroom: an account of students' and tutors' experiences. Studies in
Higher Education, 39(2), 307-320.
Galegher, J., Kraut, R. E., & Egido, C. (Eds.). (2014). Intellectual teamwork: Social and
technological foundations of cooperative work. Psychology Press.
Guajardo, M. G. U., Slewa-Younan, S., Smith, M., Eagar, S., & Stone, G. (2016).
Psychological distress is influenced by length of stay in resettled Iraqi refugees in
Australia. International journal of mental health systems, 10(1), 4.
Malekoff, A. (2015). Group work with adolescents: Principles and practice. Guilford
Publications.