Detailed Policy Analysis: Australian Refugee/Asylum Seeker Policy

This essay provides a comprehensive policy analysis of Australia's refugee/asylum seeker policy, framed within a neoliberalism perspective. It examines the historical context, the influence of economic and political factors, and the social implications of the policy, including mandatory detention, offshore processing, and temporary visa schemes. The analysis delves into how neoliberal principles such as deregulation, privatization, and restrictions on labor mobility have shaped the policy's development. It assesses the impact on asylum seekers' rights, the role of government funding, and the use of authoritative language in policy development. The essay also explores the effects of the policy on national identity, attitudes towards migration, and the balance between national interests and human rights, drawing on both descriptive and interpretative analysis to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex issues at stake. The essay concludes by evaluating the policy's successes and failures, particularly regarding the reduction in asylum seeker numbers and the increased violation of refugee rights.

Running head: POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 1
POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN REFUGEE/ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY
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POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 2
Policy Analysis of Australian Refugee/Asylum Seeker Policy
Introduction
In 1951, the United Nations held the convention on refugees that Australia became
sanctioned. The document described who a refugee is, their rights and the protection that is
accorded to them by the other countries. The main principle states that refugees cannot be
returned to their home country if they may be in danger. Meanwhile, countries are supposed to
cooperate and ensure their rights are protected. This essay focuses on the analysis of the policy
of those seeking asylum in Australia based on the Neoliberalism framework.
It worth noting that in 1967, the protocol that removed the limitation on the convention
was established making the policy universal. In the convention, a refugee is defined as a person
who seeks protection from a state because they are freeing their home. These people are usually
afraid of persecution because they belong to a group that is prosecuted or based on factors such
as race, politics or religion. They are usually seeking assistance with the help of an international
agency. On the other hand, asylum seekers are people who free their country but seek protection
after they arrive at the border of other countries without a valid visa.
Content analysis
The analysis is framed using the neoliberalism framework. Neoliberalism supports
deregulation and privatization and less government spending. According to the theory, the
government is only supposed to interfere with creation then allow free trade to occur (Carson, &
Kerr, 2017). Paradoxically, the framework encourages the free flow of capital but restricts the
movement of labor through migration. In the developing countries, globalization has negatively
affected the availability of employment making citizens migrate to western states looking for a

POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 3
better life. Meanwhile, neoliberalism makes it difficult for these migrants to enter such states. In
this case, the framework will explain the social, economic, political and historical factors
affecting the implementation and development of the policy on asylum seekers.
One concept of the neoliberalism framework is the externalization policy. This is a policy
that was practiced by the European Union and it involved the settlement of migrants in a third
country such as Turkey to prevent their entrance into the European Union. Similarly, the
Australian government introduced the offshore processing policy where asylum seekers were to
be processed in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Later, the government decided to settle and
process the immigrants in these countries.
One of the economic factors that have affected the development of this policy is the
privatization of the state’s services regarding migration. This is where the state privatized the
running of the detention center and the processing seeking asylum especially when the offshore
processing was established (Lueck, Due, & Augoustinos, 2015). Under this management, seekers
do not receive free advice as they did before, the living conditions have deteriorated and the
refugees are afraid of insecurity. Another economic factor that contributed to the development of
the policies on asylum seekers was the need for cheap labor from immigrants. This mainly
occurred at the end of the second world war. Presently, the use of cheap labor is still preferred
compared to the domestic labor that is more expensive. Therefore, the policy’s lack deterrence of
immigration has negative effects on the economy in relation to cheap labor.
Politically, neoliberalism has made the Australian government stop supporting itself
using labor-intensive policies and switch to capital-intensive policies. This also changed the role
of states in the international economic order. As a result, developing countries have become
manufacturing centers in order to attract capital leading to regional migration. Domestic politics

POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 4
are some of the factors the factors that affect asylum seekers policy. In 1990, the government
was under pressure due to the increase in the number of unlawful immigrants. The number was
approximately 90,000. This led to the fear that the government was incapable of controlling its
borders. Consequently, the mandatory detention policy was implemented in 1992. This was also
to protect the country’s immigration program.
In 1999, the government led by Howard introduced the temporary visa in an attempt to
discourage asylum seekers from the middle east. People still complained despite this attempt
leading to the offshore processing policy in 2001. This mainly triggered by the need to refuse
entry to a ship from Norwegia. In 2007, the government under Rudd abolished the policy on
offshore processing. In 2012, due to the increased number of asylum seekers, the government
under Gilliard reintroduced the policy. This government also succeeded in reducing the number
the number of people who had been detained for more than a year between 2011 and 2012.
Socially, countries derive their national identity from shared attributes. In addition,
countries protect their national identity by eliminating factors that lead to foreign influence
(Brain, 2010). The protection against foreign influence can also be used to unify social groups in
the country that are differing. In the asylum seekers policy, the government has used restrictive
measures to reduce and stop the settlement of refugees to protect the national identity of the
country. Prior to this, the government’s support of multiculturism has encouraged the settlement
of refugees in the region.
Another social factor is the changing attitudes towards migration. In the 1990s, when the
refugees arrived from Vietnam due to the war, Australians were sympathetic and quickly
resettled them. Australians were against the regime that ruled in Vietnam. Therefore, the
refugees were easily accepted since they shared a common enemy. During that time, refugees

POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 5
were given permanent residency and they were allowed to leave the detention center and return
when their names were called in roll call. However, when the number of refugees increased they
began to feel threatened due to the high rate of employment.
Neoliberalism is centered on self-interest where states do that which is beneficial to them.
Based on this, the other social factor is self-interest where the government does not care about
the rights of the refugees. This is demonstrated by the detention fee that was imposed on asylum
seekers after the detention centers were established. It is worth noting that debts incurred due to
this policy were rarely recovered and the policy was abolished when Rudd took over.
Additionally, asylum seekers that were processed in offshore detention centers did not get legal
aid which was given when the processing was onshore.
Historically, Australia was recognized under a white policy where the residents were
white. After the second world war, asylum seekers were allowed into the country due to high
demand for labor (Stratton, 2009). Moreover, they were allowed to reside in the community
before the approval of their refugee status was done. In the 1970s, when the international
community was experiencing economic down times, the rate of migration reduced but remained
relatively high after the Fraser government accepted refugees from Vietnam. Notably, the
country resettled a large number of refugees between 1975 and 1995. As the country began to
embrace neoliberalism and the economy recovered from the post-war period restrictive measures
on immigration were imposed as illustrated below.
In 1989, detention centers were established to detain asylum seekers before their status is
approved. The mandatory detention policy was later established in 1992 by the government led
by Keating where asylum seekers are detained while health and security checks are done. The
detainees were supposed to pay for the detention. They are also given the option to return to their

POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 6
countries during the waiting period. The detention is mandatory for anyone who is in the
Australia illegally. In the 2000s, the offshore policy was introduced to the asylum seeker policy
(Phillips & Spinks, n.d.). Under this policy, asylum seekers were to be detained in Nauru and
Papua New Guinea as their status was determined. Additionally, the government introduced
temporary protection visa and the turning back of boats. In 2013, the Australian government
decided that the processing and settlement of asylum seekers, if they are refugees, will be done in
Papua New Guinea (Pickering, & Weber, 2014).
This policy breaches the international law on the rights of refugees according to the
United Nations. This is due to the detainment of asylum seekers indefinitely under harsh living
conditions in Papua New Guinea. The government has given itself the power to send back
asylum seekers arriving using boats which are in violation of the convention. The policy supports
the separation of families which is against the international law. Moreover, these detention
centers are homes to children who undergo physical and emotional torture and abuse.
Meanwhile, the government has dismissed the allegations about the policy.
Descriptive analysis
One of the factors that affect the implementation of the policy is the allocation of funds.
In the 1980s, the state had small centers where asylum seekers went to get resettled. Over the
years, the government has shifted the location of such centers with the aim of using the least
amount of money. Under the leadership of Rudd, the government was able to remove offshore
processing and allow advice to be given to asylum seekers in the detention camps. As a result,
the number of arrivals increased between 2009 and 2010.
The government also increased the budget allocation for the migration program to
approximately $ 200 million which involved expenses and upgrading funds. This shows that the

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funds allocated determined services offered by the government under the migration program.
Presently, the government is spending a lot on the management of the offshore processing
centers. In the budget of 2015 to 2016, it allocated around $800 million to the project. Within
two years, it added $ 340 million to the budget. In 2016 and 2017, the estimated sending is
expected to reach at least $ 1 billion. Evidently, privatization has its own disadvantages.
An analysis of the offshore centers between 2012 and 2016 revealed that the number of
asylum seekers between July 2013 and April 2014. Afterward, the trend has been declining and
the number of asylum seekers in September 2016 was below 1500. Based the nationality of the
asylum seekers, the majority were from Iran and they went to the center in Papua New Guinea.
The centers had the largest number of children seeking asylum between 2013 and 2014. Later on,
the trend has declined in a similar manner as the trend of the total number of those seeking
asylum. In 2014, the number of arrivals was 889 and the number of departures of refugees to
their original countries was 303. This means the rate of departure to arrival was 34 percent. In
2015, there were 63 departures with no arrivals ("Australia’s offshore processing of asylum
seekers in Nauru and PNG: a quick guide to statistics and resources", 2016).
Interpretative analysis
The purpose of this information is to explore the factors that contributed to the
implementation and development of the policy. The information provides an understanding that
can be used to find ways to improve the policy. The information can be used by those that are
opposing the current policy to find new ways of advocating for its abolishment. The essay also
looks at the effects of the current policy. Based on the analysis, the current policy has succeeded
in lowering the number of those seeking asylum in the country. However, it has increased the
violation of the rights of refugees, especially in the offshore detention centers.
Discourse analysis

POLICY ANALYSIS OF AUSTRALIAN ASYLUM SEEKER POLICY 8
The language used in the policy development is authoritative. It is expressed by the
officials in the government. It is characterized by words such as the issuance of a permanent
protection visa, regional processing arrangements and policy dilemmas. Authoritative language
is mainly used by people who have the power to control something or make decisions. The
language used showed that the officials have a lot of knowledge about the policymaking process
and factors that affect it in Australia. In some cases, the officials used authoritarian language
when they were addressing the deterrence on the immigration program.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the policy on those seeking asylum in Australia is a controversial issue.
This is because of the contrasting perspectives of the United Nations and the Australian
government. The Australian government is practicing neoliberalism through deterrence of
migration. On the other hand, the United Nation expects it to protect the rights of refugees.
Evidently, the policy is violating their rights but it also needs to protect its national interest. The
easier solution is an approach that is able to cater for the country’s national interests while
protecting the rights of refugees.

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References
Australia’s offshore processing of asylum seekers in Nauru and PNG: a quick guide to statistics
and resources. (2016). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 11 October 2017, from
http://About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/
rp1617/Quick_Guides/Offshore
Brain, M. (2010). Governing the Market: Threats to Australia's Stability and Security. National
Economic Review, 30-34.
Carson, D., & Kerr, N. (2017). Australian social policy and the human services. Cambridge
University Press.
Lueck, G., Due, E., & Augoustinos, A. (2015). Neoliberalism and nationalism: Representations
of asylum seekers in the Australian mainstream news media. Discourse & Society, 609-
626.
Phillips, J., & Spinks, H. Immigration detention in Australia. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved
11 October 2017.
Pickering, D., & Weber, K. (2014). New Deterrence Scripts in Australia's Rejuvenated Offshore
Detention Regime for Asylum Seekers. Law & Social Inquiry, 1007-1024.
Stratton, M. (2009). Uncertain lives: migration, the border and neoliberalism in Australia. Social
Identities, 678-690.