Refugee policies of detention, turnbacks rejected in the 70s
Published on the 04 Oct 2017
A government under intense pressure from unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat, its radical policy attracting global attention; this might sound like contemporary Australia.
It is in fact the Australian government of 40 years ago, facing the wave of boat people from Vietnam.
Senior research associate at the Kaldor Centre, Dr Claire Higgins, speaks to The World Today about her book 'Asylum By Boat: the Origins of Australia's Refugee Policy'.