Migration

As the situation on Manus Island deteriorates, the UNHCR Regional Representative in Canberra has reiterated its call for the Australian government to work with PNG leadership to end the humanitarian situation, take responsibility and find durable solutions for those detained.   Refugees in

The UNHCR Regional Representation in Canberra has called on Australia's government and parliamentarians to take responsibility for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Drawing on UNHCR visits to PNG in May and September this year, the statement flags the lack of services and

Reflecting on the failures of offshore processing, UNHCR’s Regional Representative, Thomas Albrecht, urges the Australian government to step up, share responsibility and do its bit to create durable solutions for refugees and asylum seekers. The ‘likelihood of successful assimilation and

With nearly 400,000 Rohingya crossing the border into Bangladesh, Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, has called on Myanmar’s authorities to cease acts of violence, uphold the rule of law and allow aid into the country. Domestically, the Rohingya community has urged the Australian

Over 125,000 Rohingya refugees are estimated to be fleeing conflict and persecution in Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Indian government is preparing to deport the country’s undocumented Rohingya population. The European Court of Justice has dismissed

Earlier today the Australian High Court rejected a claim that the Australian government can only exercise offshore powers consistently with the law of a foreign state. This means that Australia’s regional processing centre on Manus Island is legal despite the PNG Supreme Court ruling to the

There is a counter-narrative emerging in Europe’s approach to irregular migration, even as EU governments seek new ways to discourage desperate journeys across the Central Mediterranean route to Italy. Via the skies over Rome and Paris, other journeys are getting safer, as church groups fly asylum

In a statement released this week UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi claims Australia reneged on a commitment to allow refugees with close family ties in Australia to be resettled here. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton disputed the claim. In the Washington Post, Isaac Stanley-Becker examines the human

With assistance from Zixin Wang, an intern with the Lowy Institute's East Asia Program. Following World Refugee Day on 20 June, Chinese netizens have been heatedly debating whether China should accept refugees. 'Debating' may be too strong a word – social media users are for the most part

The Australian Government this week introduced a new Bill into parliament to amend the Citizenship Act 2007. The move comes just two weeks after submissions to its discussion paper had closed – those submissions have not been made public. In short, the proposed changes will require prospective

Australia is set to roll out a new private sponsorship programme for refugees and humanitarian entrants on 1 July, following in the footsteps of Canada. As noted in the 2017-18 Budget, Australia will increase its Refugee and Humanitarian Programme to provide 16,250 places in 2017-18 and 18

At the 30th ASEAN Summit, member states were unable to reach consensus on the Declaration on the Promotion and Protection of Migrant Workers' Rights, despite lobbying from migrant-sending states Indonesia and the Philippines. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection told Senate

Australia, New Zealand and the US have announced restrictions to skilled work visas. During a week-long visit to the Middle East, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte discussed trade and migration with Gulf leaders and announced plans to establish a foreign employment department to oversee the

The Kaldor Centre's Jane McAdam unpacks the international legal frameworks to assist people displaced by disasters and climate change. Writing for the Brookings Institution, the World Bank's Kent Garber considers how refugee doctors, nurses and health workers could fulfil skill shortages and

The US Department of Homeland Security has begun fingerprinting and photographing refugees on Manus Island as part of the US-Australia refugee deal. Oxford University's International Migration Institute has released a working paper examining trends in international travel visa schemes. 

Recently we were presented with duelling pictures of skilled immigration. On the one hand, we have this news report about China making it easier for highly educated migrants to stay. This is a reminder that countries compete aggressively for foreign talent and for good reason, with studies showing

By Daniel Thambar, an intern with the Lowy Institute’s Migration and Border Policy Project. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) launched a project to support 300 Syrian refugees setting up small businesses in Turkey. Human Rights Watch analyses the impact of the EU-Turkey

On 25 January US President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order directing US executive departments and agencies ‘to employ all lawful means to enforce the immigration laws of the United States’. The target of the executive order is ‘aliens who illegally enter the United States and

By Daniel Thambar, an intern with the Lowy Institute’s Migration and Border Policy Project. The Kenyan government’s bid to close the largest refugee camp in the world (the Dadaab camp) has been blocked by the high court.The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) released a report that looks at the

It is often said that a week is a long time in politics, but in the United States the weekend saw the political and legal landscape change almost by the hour. On Friday evening District Judge James Robart granted a temporary restraining order with nationwide effect suspending the travel ban

Earlier this week Malcolm Turnbull said it wasn’t his job as Prime Minister of Australia 'to run a commentary on the domestic policies of other countries' after President Trump signed an executive order banning travellers from seven majority Muslim countries. There are many reasons to question

By Rachael Buckland, an intern with the Lowy's Institute's Migration and Border policy project McKinsey Global Institute research reveals that migration generates significant economic benefits, with immigrant integration playing a role in maximising this.In 2015, migrants sent half a trillion