Australia's little known in-country programme in Latin America

Dr Claire Higgins, Research Associate at the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, has received the Margaret George Award from the National Archives of Australia to fund her research into Australia's in-country programme in Latin America. The in-country programme operated discreetly during the 1980s, rescuing and resettling trade unionists and former political prisoners while relying on careful negotiation with local authorities.

It was a unique initiative, driven by humanitarian concerns and a desire to diversify the refugee intake, which can offer an important contribution to the historical debate about the virtues of Australian refugee policy.

For more information, please see the abstract for a research paper on this topic published in the Refugee Survey Quarterly and the media release from the National Archives.