Refugees: Why Seeking Asylum Is Legal and Australia's Policies Are not

A short, straightforward guide to the rights and wrongs of our refugee policy written by the expert in the field.

Stopping the boats, blocking queue-jumpers and proving who is a ‘real’ refugee have become national obsessions. Misconceptions about refugees and asylum seekers seem to be increasing and governments and media continue to exploit anxieties in the community.

This clear-headed book shows that there is a gap between the rhetoric and the legislated rights of refugees, who have been resettled from camps abroad, and asylum seekers, who arrive by boat. It shows why our asylum-seeker policies, developed over decades, are at odds with the legal obligations we have signed up to. And, using real-life examples, it reminds us that we’re talking about real people and their children.