AnalysisAsiaAsylum SeekersAustralasiaFeaturesGlobal IssuesHuman RightsMigrationPoliticsRefugeesSocietyWorld
By boat or by plane? If you’re seeking asylum in Australia, the outcome is similarly bleak
Last week, 39 foreign nationals arrived in a remote part of Western Australia by boat.
This revived dormant debates about border security.
People without visas come to Australia by air and sea, though we only ever seem to hear about the latter.
Unlike unauthorised air arrivals, unauthorised maritime arrivals (people without visas that arrive by boat without permission) are given high media visibility.
This feeds a narrative that the country has lost control of its borders, which in turn creates a political problem for the…