We cannot rely morally on ‘deterrence’ to justify our harsh refugee policies

When debate about refugees ascends from slogan swapping (“stop the boats”, “bring them here”) to specific reasoning, there seems only one argument worth considering for the ignominious detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru and the refusal to ever settle any in…

• Tony Coady
• The Conversation

That argument, advanced by both the government and the opposition (occasionally in a less strident form), stems from deterrence.

It’s worth considering the argument even as a handful of these detainees are resettled in the US or possibly other distant and…

• We cannot rely…