Australia's asylum policies in the aftermath of September 11

The discourses surrounding asylum seekers and refugees in Western countries has always been driven by values and philosophies relating to foreign policy and economic concerns. Nation states have engaged strongly in regulating and providing the institutional frameworks for asylum and refugee status. In the aftermath of September 11, we have seen significant changes to discourses and institutional frameworks governing asylum seekers in Australia. Prior to the terrorist attacks on September 11 2001, there was a tightening of Australia's asylum policies, as evidenced by a series of legislative enactments in 1999. The terrorist attacks of September 11 allowed the Australian government to conveniently exploit the security issue by conjoining it with asylum matters. The conjoining of asylum and security matters has unjustifiably 'criminalised' asylum seekers and has resulted in their portrayal as threats to national security. The discourses accompanying the policy process have in turn resulted in the encouragement of xeno-racism against asylum seekers. This paper is divided into three parts: after providing a broad overview of the legislative measures in Australia prior to September 11, discussion will focus on the security specific measures implemented in the aftermath of September 11. The paper then addresses the unjustified vilification of asylum seekers through the replacement of human rights discourses with those relating to security. The paper concludes by arguing that until economic and social change is implemented at the global and national levels, asylum seekers will continue to be the victims of xeno-racism