Asylum seekers, refugees and people smuggling—links to the key Parliamentary Library papers

The Parliamentary Library has recently released several new and updated papers on asylum seekers, refugees, boat arrivals and people smuggling.

Links to these papers are included below together with links to other research papers in related areas.

 

Harmony Day - a celebration of cultural diversity

Image source: Department of Immigration and Citizenship

On Wednesday 21 March, people across Australia will come together to celebrate Harmony Day. Harmony Day is dedicated to celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity, and is timed to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Harmony Day has been celebrated in Australia since 1999. Since then, more than 25 000 Harmony Day events have been held by a wide range of community, sporting and cultural organisation. Harmony Day events are supported by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, which provides free promotional material. Events include sporting activities, food festivals, dance or music performances, or simply bringing people together to talk and share stories. The theme for 2012 is “Sport – play engage, inspire” in recognition of the positive role sport plays in uniting people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Asylum seekers, refugees and boats—links to the key Parliamentary Library papers

Image source: Australian Parliament House

As you have probably noticed, the Parliament of Australia and the Parliamentary Library website has changed. While we have received lots of positive feedback about the new look and feel of the site, we are aware that some people have been having difficulty in finding publications they have previously referred to. Here are links to some of our most popular papers on asylum seekers, refugees and boat arrivals prepared by the immigration research team in the Parliamentary Library:

International Migrants Day

In December 2000, the United Nations (UN) adopted a resolution noting the increasing number of migrants in the world and proclaiming 18 December to be International Migrants Day. Since then the UN has invited government and non-government organisations alike to celebrate International Migrants Day each year and to continue to work towards ensuring the protection of all migrants.

The future of multiculturalism

Recent events in Europe have called into question the future of multiculturalism as a policy approach in increasingly diverse societies. In Australia, public debate in relation to migrants has, more recently, been focused on issues relating to population growth and asylum seekers but there have been calls for a greater articulation of the Government’s approach to multiculturalism and the issues faced by marginalised groups in the community. A new Parliamentary Library Research Paper examines the history of multiculturalism in Australia and offers context to debates in Australia and overseas.