57115 Seeking Refuge

This subject offers students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of the causes, experiences and outcomes of seeking refuge across the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The legal status of refugees, including internally displaced peoples as well as those who are seeking asylum outside their national borders, is examined to identify the discrepancies between UN conventions and protections and national laws. The legal and conceptual position of citizen is compared to that of the refugee/stateless person or asylum seeker, to identify the degree to which allegedly universal protections, like the UN convention on Human Rights, are actually tied to national borders and protections rather than to the individuals who may be suffering their loss. Students investigate the processes of aid-giving and the ambivalent relationship between first world agencies and third world peoples as well as fourth world peoples. In their major project work, students undertake independent, supervised research into the history, current conditions, needs and demands of a community seeking refuge today in Australia.

Typical availability

Spring semester, City campus