NewsBite

Refugees

August

Palestinians evacuate Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, as part of a mass evacuation ordered by the Israeli military ahead of an operation, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024.

Why Gaza visa attacks could backfire on the Coalition

The opposition is focusing on Gazan visas to chip away at Labor’s national security credentials – but do voters even care while hip pocket pain remains acute?

  • Andrew Tillett
Shaqurra Jackson (pushing pram) and Regina Alexander in Chicago’s South Shore.

Chicago’s black voters have a surprising message for Harris

In Barack Obama’s home suburb in southern Chicago, black voters are mulling turning their backs on Kamala Harris, angry over high levels of illegal immigration.

  • Matthew Cranston

Julian Burnside KC to part ways with classic industrial images

The barrister and his artist wife Kate Durham are selling 145 works by celebrated industrial photographer Wolfgang Sievers.

  • Elizabeth Fortescue
A rise in refugee applications is being blamed on students wanting to stay in the country.

Crackdown on overseas students triggers rise in refugee applications

A big spike in applications for refugee status is being explained by the federal government’s attempts to cut the number of overseas students in the country.

  • Julie Hare
Sudanese children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border.

As the world looks elsewhere, famine descends on Darfur

Conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine have attracted international attention while children die unnecessarily in Sudan.

  • Nicholas Kristof
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June

Syrian refugee Wissam Chabo eventually landed a permanent job at ANZ after working in jobs beneath his skill level for years.

Skilled refugees could unlock $9b in extra GDP

Maths graduate Wissam Chabo applied for 100 jobs before getting work in a local cafe. Research shows skilled migrants are badly underutilised, even during Australia’s skills shortage.

  • Euan Black
An election poster of right-wing party AfD is fixed on a pole during the Hesse federal state election in Frankfurt, Germany.

An insider’s account of Germany’s AfD: ‘The wrong people stayed’

As Germany’s far-right celebrates a strong performance in European parliament elections, a former leader argues the party has lost its way.

  • Henry Mance

May

In his budget reply speech on Thursday night Opposition Leader Peter Dutton acknowledged the need to bring in migrants with construction skills, but had little to say on their contribution to other areas of talent shortage.

Dutton’s migrant crackdown treats economy with disdain

In the populist pitch to bring down house prices, there is little recognition of the role of migrants in filling acute skills shortages across the economy.

  • Jessica Gardner

Dutton to slash migrant intake, ban foreign property buyers

The opposition leader has vowed to slash permanent migration by a quarter and ban foreign investors buying established homes for two years.

  • Phillip Coorey
Young Chinese are prepared to make the gruelling journey via South America to reach the US where they apply for asylum.

Chinese asylum seekers are paying $15,000 to reach the US via Mexico

About 37,000 people from the Asian nation were detained at the United States’ southern border last year.

  • Slavoj Žižek

April

Ninette Simons is still recovering after the terrifying ordeal on April 17.

Albanese tries to shift blame on alleged attack by freed detainee

Labor is under fresh pressure over its management of immigration detainees set free by the High Court after the alleged bashing of a Perth grandmother.

  • Andrew Tillett
Ryanair chief executive officer Michael O’Leary is known for his controversial views.

Ryanair CEO would ‘happily’ offer flights deporting people to Rwanda

Michael O’Leary shrugged off warnings from the United Nations, which said airlines facilitating the removals could be complicit in violating international law.

  • Kate Duffy and Charlotte Ryan
Some backpackers need to pass an English-language test to come here, others don’t.

‘A mishmash’: backpackers not equal under visa rules

Different regulations can apply to countries even from the same continent when it comes to language requirements.

  • Julie Hare
People from Mexico at the US border in Texas.

Immigration politically toxic, but it’s helping drive US growth

Immigration has been good for the US economy, just as an out-of-control border becomes the No.1 issue for voters in some states and No.2 in swing states.

  • Matthew Cranston

March

The Bibby Stockholm houses asylum seekers in Weymouth, in England’s south-west. It is operated by Corporate Travel Management.

Corporate Travel’s margins from refugee work could be more than 50pc

The ASX-listed group, which better known for organising trips for business clients, has sought to keep details of the United Kingdom contract secret.

  • Liam Walsh and Jonathan Shapiro
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February

Migrants wait in line to be processed at the US-Mexico border in May.

Immigration could save the US from recession. But there’s a catch

The immigration crisis is fuelling economic growth, according to experts. Others say it can burden cities with huge costs and drive down productivity and wages

  • Matthew Cranston
Australian Border Force.

Asylum seeker boat lands in northern WA

More than two dozen asylum seekers apparently arrived from Indonesia and walked for 35km after landing at Beagle Bay.

  • Aaron Bunch

December 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron.

EU, France deliver migration crackdowns as populists surge

A “breakthrough” deal could end years of infighting over illegal immigrants. Emmanuel Macron needed a key rival’s support for his tough reforms.

  • Hans van Leeuwen
Britain’s best-known populist Nigel Farage, has even been talked of as a Tory leader.

How immigration became a toxic brew

Migrants have been used to tackle dire demographic trends and shrinking workforces. But anxious voters are telling politicians to find another way.

  • Hans van Leeuwen

October 2023

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip.

Corporate Travel hired for Israel evacuation work

The travel agency also promised shareholders a $100 million share buyback at its AGM on Wednesday.

  • Liam Walsh

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/refugees-6fog