Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look into the true definition of a refugee and the Australian government's stance on 'boat people' - also referred to as asylum seekers - and their policy on unauthorised arrivals. Mention is made of the condition of Australia's detention centres, and some of the conundrums faced when determining the fate of illegal immigrants. Is it fair to give a place reserved for a genuine refugee to those who do not come via established means? Additionally, the paper looks at the everyday Australian's view on multiculturalism with reference to imagined communities and the old White Australia Policy. Clearly the influx of refugees has changed the way Australians view themselvs as a nation and led many people to re-examine Australia?s cultural and social makeup.

From the Paper:

"As Australians, we have all been touched by the recent refugee crisis in some way or another, with an increased influx of asylum seekers coming to our shores over the last few years. Indeed it is a human tragedy that people can be so desperate to flee their homeland that they are willing to travel thousands of kilometres across land and sea, eventually culminating in a "passage of terror" on an unsafe boat that more than likely would be carrying three to four times the normal number of passengers. The arrival of these "boat people" has caused of a division within our society - those who are accommodating to the fact that these people have fled their county and should be allowed to stay, and those who believe that an influx of so called "illegal" refugees will lead to a perceived loss of national identity - who want them to be sent back where they came from if no sufficient enough reason is forthcoming. The plight of international refugees is a cause for global concern, however understanding the key issues can be difficult for those with little background knowledge."

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