This article deals with the policy direction of the re-elected Liberal Turnbull government in the area of refugee policy.
It notes that dealing with refugee flows requires sophisticated policies that reflect both domestic and international realities. These realities include Australia’s status as a sovereign nation that wishes to protect its borders, but also as a country operating in a highly globalised world.
That world is experiencing situations of protracted armed conflict and large numbers of refugees. The key challenge for the returned Turnbull government is to formulate policies that reflect this complexity and present Australia as a good global citizen willing to take its fair share of refugees.
These policies therefore must be ones that go beyond a focus on “stopping the boats” and lead to sustainable solutions. To a large extent, this will rest on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ability to persuade reluctant factions within his party of the need to re-calibrate certain aspects of Coalition policy.