Podcasts about australian immigration and asylum

For over a year the flash of bombs and deafening sound of explosions have filled the night sky over Gaza. Now, finally, there is a ceasefire. Nour Haydar speaks to Mostafa Rachwani about how the deal has brought the refugee community in Australia some relief but why, after 15 months of war, many are fearful that the peace won't last

Guardian Australia's chief political correspondent, Paul Karp, and Peter Lewis from Essential Media talk about voters' opinions of Peter Dutton's call to stop people fleeing Gaza from entering Australia and whether he is driving division for political gain You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Just three days after Asio chief Mike Burgess asked politicians to watch their words about the Middle East, Peter Dutton escalated his rhetoric against Palestinians fleeing Gaza. Guardian Australia's political editor Karen Middleton and community affairs reporter Mostafa Rachwani tell Tamsin Rose about the political calculations behind the opposition leader's latest line of attack

The Albanese government is once again under pressure over immigration detention. This time because an independent tribunal gave visas back to non-citizens with serious criminal convictions. Chief political correspondent Paul Karp tells Jane Lee why the coalition has demanded the immigration minister's resignation You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Karen Middleton, Guardian Australia's political editor, speaks with shadow minister for immigration and citizenship Dan Tehan about ministerial direction 99 and the visas of non-citizens with serious criminal convictions. They also discuss Peter Dutton's plans to cuts to migration and why there won't be a nuclear reactor in Anglesea – a town in Tehan's electorate

In his budget reply last week, Peter Dutton promised to slash permanent migration by 25% – a move he says could ease pressure on the housing market. Chief political correspondent Paul Karp tells Nour Haydar why the opposition leader has zeroed in on the issue and what it could mean in a pre-election year You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Guardian Australia's political editor Karen Middleton speaks with the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, about the government's deportation bill. They also discuss immigration, relations with China and what might happen to home affairs under a Coalition government.

More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza over the last six months – the majority women and children. For the Arab diaspora in Australia the rising death toll and looming famine has cast a dark shadow over the joy of Easter and Ramadan. Nour Haydar joins a group of women making a beloved Levantine biscuit known as maamoul to raise money for recently arrived Palestinian families. She talks to Sunday Kitchen co-founder Karima Hazim about the initiative and meets a mother of three who fled the besieged territory to seek safety in Australia You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

The attempt to rush through new legislation designed to give the government extra powers to deport individuals from Australia has been rejected by the Senate. Chief political correspondent Paul Karp tells Jane Lee why Labor's deportation bill is so controversial and what it could mean for people seeking asylum. You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

Guardian Australia's chief political correspondent, Paul Karp, speaks to David Shoebridge, the Greens's home affairs and immigration spokesperson, about Labor's controversial deportation bill

Guardian Australia chief political correspondent Paul Karp talks to Peter Lewis from Essential Media about voters' changing perceptions of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton. They discuss what qualities make for successful opposition leaders and whether Dutton's stance on issues such as asylum seekers and workplace relations play to his favour.

Chief political correspondent Paul Karp tells Nour Haydar how the arrival of an asylum seeker boat has reignited a war of words about Operation Sovereign Borders You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

When a lonely and impressionable teenager became fixated on Islamic State, police began an operation that ended up further radicalising him. At just 14, the boy was then charged with terrorism offences. Courts and justice reporter Nino Bucci tells Patrick Keneally how and why police targeted the vulnerable teenager, and the questions the case raises about the authorities' role in the deradicalisation process You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

After a high court decision in November that led to the release of more than 100 people in immigration detention, the Labor government has passed legislation designed to toughen Australia's immigration law. Termed ‘preventative detention', these new powers allow the government to send some high-risk non-citizens to prison – even though they haven't committed a new offence. Chief political correspondent Paul Karp tells Laura Murphy-Oates about the moral and legal minefield surrounding these new powers You can support the Guardian at theguardian.com/fullstorysupport

After a landmark high court ruling, the Labor government has rushed through emergency legislation to impose strict conditions on people released from indefinite immigration detention. Chief political correspondent Paul Karp speaks with Jane Lee about what led to the dramatic events in parliament last week and what could happen from here

Guardian Australia political editor Katharine Murphy talks to Andrew Giles, Australian minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs. They discuss Labors' anti-racism strategies, and how social cohesion in Australia is at a tipping point following a bruising referendum, and an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

The last refugee has now been evacuated from Nauru. Yet the Australian-run detention centre remains ‘ready to receive and process' any new unauthorised maritime arrivals at an annual cost of $350m. Guardian Australia chief political correspondent Paul Karp and reporter Eden Gillespie tell Jane Lee about what refugees and asylum seekers detained for more than a decade make of the decision, and what it means for Australia's deterrence policy

National party leader David Littleproud joins chief political correspondent Paul Karp to discuss the one-year anniversary of the Albanese government, and how the Liberals and Nationals are working together in opposition

The story of how Guardian Australia launched in 2013 is one of strength, determination, a chance encounter, a spying scandal and a lot of coffee. At a time when Julia Gillard was prime minister, newspapers were laying off thousands of staff and Gina Rinehart was vying to take control of Fairfax, the Guardian arrived in a dire period for public interest journalism. But since May 2013 the once-tiny news site has achieved what some thought impossible. In this special edition of Full Story, Bridie Jabour speaks with the key players in Guardian Australia's launch

A month since conflict began between rival military groups, more than 150,000 people have fled Sudan. Jane Lee speaks with Plan International's Sara Sinada about the war and how it affects her family there and in Australia

The federal budget has predicted a surge in net overseas migration this year, before a return to pre-pandemic forecasts. But the Coalition has accused the Albanese government of allowing the number of immigrants to balloon, which it says will further entrench a nationwide housing crisis.Gabrielle Jackson talks to Guardian Australia's editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and head of news Mike Ticher about getting the facts straight on immigration

As the Albanese government promises to create more permanent pathways for migrants, Jane Lee speaks with immigration historian Dr Rachel Stevens about how different policies and world events have shaped Australia's immigrant intake over decades. We also hear from Liliana Sanchez and Marina Khan about their experiences migrating to Australia

Rejected for a Canadian visa six times thanks to her ‘unique' Pakistani passport, debut artist Almitra Mavalvala moved to Australia and channelled her rage into Blacklisted, a one-woman, genre-bending show. In an episode that blends the stage and storytelling, audio producer Karishma Luthria and Almitra discuss navigating new identities and the importance of theatre in creating community

In this episode from June, we revisit the moment the Nadesalingam family returned to their home town of Biloela in central Queensland, after more than four years in immigration detention. During that time the Tamil family became the face of Australia's strict asylum seeker policies.Queensland reporter Eden Gillespie documents the family's return home, and Priya Nadesalingam discusses life after detention

Australia will accept 35,000 more permanent migrants a year to try to fill skills shortages in industries like engineering, health and agriculture. But are we doing enough to attract and retain the people we need in the global war for talent? Economist Gabriela D'Souza and skilled migrant Benine Muriithi speak with Jane Lee about how migrants view Australia

Chief political correspondent Sarah Martin talks to Andrew Giles, Australian minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs, about Labor's plan to improve the system for skilled migration and issues affecting migrants already in the country

The Albanese government is under pressure to end a legal fight over whether the Australian government should have the power to deport Aboriginal non-citizens. The high court appeal - launched by the Morrison government - could see at least a dozen Aboriginal people face detention or deportation, if they are not granted a visa. Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to political reporter Paul Karp about the Aboriginal people caught in our immigration system, and why this is the high court's most significant constitutional decision in recent years

On Friday, the Nadesalingam family returned to their home town of Biloela in central Queensland, after more than four years in immigration detention. During that time the Tamil family became the face of Australia's strict asylum seeker policies. Queensland reporter Eden Gillespie documents the family's return home, and Priya Nadesalingam discusses life after detention

In 2009, during the highly charged political climate around border protection, Indonesian children were wrongly jailed in Australia as adult people smugglers. This week the Western Australia court of appeal overturned their convictions and found ‘a substantial miscarriage of justice has occurred'. Reporter Christopher Knaus breaks down the now-discredited medical technique used by the Australian Federal Police to prosecute these children, and why it's taken 12 years to have their appeal heard

Nine years after it was offered, Australia has accepted New Zealand's offer to resettle 450 refugees. While human rights advocates and the federal opposition have welcomed this announcement, they've also questioned the motivation and the timing – so close to the federal election. Guardian reporter Ben Doherty speaks to Laura Murphy-Oates about why the government took so long to accept the offer, and Behrouz Boochani – a journalist and refugee who was detained on Manus Island – discusses what refugees can expect from a life in New Zealand

Desic turned himself in to police in Sydney 30 years after escaping jail. Ben Doherty explores how his friends and family are pleading for the Australian government to show mercy and let him stay

A standout 2021 episode reflecting on the 20-year anniversary of the Tampa affair. Afghan refugee Abbas Nazari, then a seven-year-old child on the MV Tampa, and Guardian journalist David Marr remember the humanitarian and political crisis that shapes Australia's policies on asylum seekers and their claims to this day

Luke Henriques-Gomes's grandfather was one of 44 refugees to arrive in 1975 on the only RAAF plane ever hijacked. The official response still staggers him. Head of news, Mike Ticher, introduces this little known story

The Omicron variant of Covid has prompted governments around the world to reintroduce border restrictions, with Australia shutting the border to southern Africa and delaying the reopening date for international students and visa holders. The federal government has called for calm, describing the variant as ‘manageable', but what do we actually know about it? Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to medical editor Melissa Davey about what scientists have discovered so far about Omicron and our evolving approach to combating Covid variants

The Park hotel in Melbourne, which is being operated by the federal government as an alternative place of detention for refugees and asylum seekers, is currently the site of a Covid outbreak – with almost half of the detainees testing positive. It follows months of warnings from the Australian Medical Association and human rights organisations about the “high-risk environment” for transmission – and calls for all people held there to be released. Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to detained refugee Mustafa Salah, and reporter Ben Doherty about life inside the hotel as this outbreak spreads, and Australia's responsibility to keep these refugees safe

Farhad Bandesh made wine in Iran before he was forced to flee. He has now brought that ancient tradition to Australia. Lifestyle editor, Alyx Gorman, recommends this story about one of the many ways that asylum seekers and refugees contribute to Australia's vibrant food and wine culture

As Australian forces struggle to evacuate thousands of Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban, Full Story marks the 20-year anniversary of the Tampa affair. Afghan refugee Abbas Nazari, then a seven-year-old child on the MV Tampa, and Guardian journalist David Marr remember the humanitarian and political crisis that has shaped Australia's policies on asylum seekers and their claims to this day

Australia's tight borders have helped contain the spread of Covid-19. But now, Australians living overseas will have to apply for special permission to leave the country if they return temporarily, making it even harder for them to travel between the two countries they call home. Guardian reporter Elias Visontay explains how the new rules will affect Australian visitors

For three years the #hometobilo campaign has lobbied for a family of Tamil asylum seekers to be released from immigration detention, and returned to the Queensland community of Biloela where they lived. Last week the family's youngest daughter Tharnicaa was flown from Christmas Island detention centre to a Perth hospital for emergency medical treatment – and the public pressure around the campaign has only grown. Queensland correspondent Ben Smee went to Biloela to talk to residents about the enduring bond between the family and their community, and ongoing efforts to bring them home

This week Katharine Murphy and Guardian Australia's team of Canberra reporters answer your most burning political questions. Will Scott Morrison make an exception for the Biloela family? How will Australians be affected by the new Medicare changes? What is the conspiracy theory surrounding Dan Andrews?

This week the Biloela family was thrust back in the news as three-year-old Tharnicaa was airlifted to a hospital in Perth to fight pneumonia and a blood infection. Mike Ticher and Lucy Clark speak about the treatment of the Biloela family and whether it will have an impact on Australia's immigration policy

Last week, new laws that allow the government to indefinitely detain refugees and give the immigration minister new powers to revoke a person’s refugee status, quietly passed through parliament. The government says this gives the minister greater oversight to protect human rights, but others are concerned these powers are undemocratic and may breach international law

With India’s Covid-19 case numbers rising, the Morrison government has announced tough fines or jail time for Australians returning home from India – a move that has provoked widespread backlash. Karishma Luthria speaks to people stranded in India, including Australian Subra Somayajula, about the unfolding crisis on the ground in India, and the impact of this policy

The pandemic put everyone in limbo. For the first time, many Australians understood what it meant to be stranded, unable to cross borders, separated from loved ones. The federal government said we were ‘all in this together' – but what about the refugees in Temporary? And what's ahead for them? Sisonke Msimang interviews Sarah Dale, the director of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service, to find out

Australia has ramped up the practice of deporting people who commit crimes while living here on visas – a policy that’s seen deportations to New Zealand skyrocket. Reporter Ben Doherty explains the history of this policy, and how a series of recent controversies over deportations have pushed tensions between the two countries to an all-time high

In Australia, people applying for some visas must travel overseas to get them approved. Despite the health risks – and the possibility this travel could spark another outbreak in Australia – some visa applicants have still been forced to make these trips during the pandemic. Reporter Christopher Knaus explains how this policy has affected the lives of one Brisbane couple, and the moves to change this system.

In part 7 of Temporary we meet Hani. Back in 2013, with Operation Sovereign Borders, the Australian government launched an outright war on asylum seekers, condemning 30,000 people seeking safety to mandatory detention and temporary protection, leaving thousands of people like Hani, a young poet from Somalia, caught in the middle. Years after the harsh deterrence policies were implemented, we ask: have they actually worked?

One family. All devout pacifists, they all fled the same dangers and all of them are recognised refugees in Australia. The mother and children were resettled from overseas and now have permanent protection. But their father arrived by boat. He lives in anxious uncertainty, enduring an opaque reapplication process that could result in his being torn away from them

One family. All devout pacifists, they all fled the same dangers and all of them are recognised refugees in Australia. The mother and children were resettled from overseas and now have permanent protection. But their father arrived by boat. He lives in anxious uncertainty, enduring an opaque reapplication process that could result in his being torn away from them

Arman’s claim for asylum was rejected because the Australian government thought it was safe for him to return to Afghanistan. While this is no longer the government’s view, Australia’s appeal system means the decision still stands. In this episode of Full Story, Arman explains how he has nowhere to turn – his only chance to stay in Australia is if Peter Dutton personally intervenes

After the Medevac bill was passed in 2019 almost 200 people were deemed by a panel of doctors to require medical attention that required they be taken to Australia. They are now mostly locked in hotels or detention centres, none have been sent back so far. So what is the future for these refugees?

In part 5 of Temporary we meet Arman, whose claim for asylum was rejected because the Australian government thought it was safe for him to return to Afghanistan. This is no longer the government's view, yet due to the way the appeal system works, the decision still stands – and Arman has nowhere to turn. His only chance to stay in Australia is if Peter Dutton personally intervenes

Every one of the 30,000 asylum seekers in Australia's ‘legacy caseload' was detained. The average time spent in detention is 564 days but some people have been detained for more than a decade. In this episode of Temporary, we meet Kumar, who was moved from detention centre to detention centre for over three years

In this episode we hear Elaheh’s story. She had to suddenly flee Iran, not realising she might never see her family again. Now a recognised refugee in Australia with a young son, her visa’s restrictions dictate whether her son will ever meet the strong women who raised her This episode is part of our new series Temporary – you can listen to all the episodes here

In part three of the Temporary podcast we meet Elaheh, who had to suddenly flee Iran, not realising she might never see her family again. Now a recognised refugee in Australia with a young son, her visa's restrictions dictate whether her son will ever meet the strong women who raised her

In episode two of Temporary we continue Zaki's story. Labelled an ‘illegal maritime arrival', how did he negotiate hunger, the Sydney property market and a visa that wouldn't let him work or study in Australia to become an award-winning student? Part 1: How Australia put 30,000 people in limbo A legal limbo without end: the people who came by boat but never found home in Australia

In the first part of the Temporary podcast we meet Zaki, who fled a Taliban death warrant when he was a teenager to find somewhere safe. Instead, he found himself impounded in the politics of fear that Australian leaders have been stoking for decades. He is one of 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the ‘legacy caseload', kept silent by a system that holds permanent protection out of reach. We know the stories of Manus Island and Nauru, but what about the people stuck here in our midst? Part 2: No right to study, no right to work A legal limbo without end: the people who came by boat but never found home in Australia

When he was a teenager Zaki fled a Taliban death warrant to find somewhere safe. Instead, he found himself impounded in the politics of fear that Australian leaders have been stoking for decades. He is one of 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the ‘legacy caseload’, kept silent by a system that holds permanent protection out of reach. • A legal limbo without end: the people who came by boat but never found home in Australia

The stories of people seeking asylum are supposed to end. But in Australia, people who arrive by boat are seldom able to finish their story. This new eight-part narrative podcast reveals the stories of refugees trapped in a cycle of uncertainty

In the fifth part of our series examining the plight of refugees in Indonesia, we hear the story of what has happened to Mozhgan’s family. Her dad Amir has struggled the most. In episode one we heard him in the midst of a shocking crisis. That was a year ago. How is he now? Listen to The Wait part 1: a paradox and a dilemma Listen to The Wait part 2: we say it’s chance Listen to The Wait part 3: the place where we are kept Listen to The Wait part 4: if there is a god

In the fourth part of our series examining the plight of refugees in Indonesia, Mozhgan and her friend Elina, from Sudan, have a disagreement about beliefs. When the future is impossible to see, faith can be a rock – or it can shatter completely. In this episode we look at how, in their quest to cope, some refugees are taking matters into their own hands Listen to The Wait part 1: a paradox and a dilemma Listen to The Wait part 2: we say it’s chance Listen to The Wait part 3: the place where we are kept

Guardian Australia reporter Ben Doherty looks at the history behind Australia’s asylum seeker policies, including the controversial practice of offshore processing and resettlement. It’s one of the options the British government is allegedly considering to deter asylum seekers from attempting to cross the Channel to the UK. Journalist Behrouz Boochani, who spent seven years in detention in Papua New Guinea, discusses the impact the policy has had. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Mozhgan met Hussein in 2013, both packed into a fishing boat, hoping to get to Australia. She takes Nicole to visit him in West Jakarta, where he lives with his dad in a small room. Their single beds touch toe to toe. How has Australia shaped Hussein and Mozhgan’s lives, even though they never got there? Listen to The Wait part 1: a paradox and a dilemma here

Mozhgan Moarefizadeh is stuck in Jakarta, living without rights. With journalist Nicole Curby, she brings you into the lives of refugees like her, who are trapped on Australia’s new borderline, in Indonesia Listen to The Wait part 2: we say it’s chance here

Scott Morrison has said of the pandemic, ‘we’re all in this together’ but his government has excluded more than 1 million people from assistance. Laura Murphy-Oates talks to some of those people and Ben Doherty analyses the government’s response.

In 2018, a migrant family living in Biloela, Queensland were taken from their home at dawn and have been held in detention ever since. This Friday, the family’s last chance to stay in the country will be assessed by a court. In this episode of Full Story, we explore how the treatment of Nadesalingam and Priya, and their two Australian-born children Kopika and Tharunicaa, has exposed the unfairness in Australia’s immigration processes

The coming weeks could spell the end of the medevac law. Helen Davidson and Saba Vasefi talk to Laura Murphy-Oates about why Peter Dutton is so intent on repealing this law and what will happen to sick asylum seekers if he is successful

How does Australia rank on a global scale for its policies on education, employment, immigration and climate change? Katharine Murphy talks to Andrew Wear, a Victorian public servant and author who is looking to foreign countries for inspiration on policy. Wear discusses how Australia is a global leader in immigration, but risks falling behind in other areas.

Labor MP Tim Watts and former Guardian Australia political correspondent Gabrielle Chan join Katharine Murphy to discuss identity and multiculturalism in Australia, from the White Australia policy to the recent debate around Gladys Liu. Particular focus is paid to the Asian-Australian community, with observations drawn from Watts’s new book, The Golden Country: Australia’s Changing Identity

Enter the budget lockup with the Guardian Australia crew and learn the ins and outs of how this budget affects you. Political editor Katharine Murphy is joined by Lenore Taylor, Greg Jericho, Gabrielle Chan, Amy Remeikis, Paul Karp, Helen Davidson and Martin Farrer

As the government continues to frame the passing of the medical evacuation bill as a national security issue, we look at why this legislation is needed to save lives on Nauru and Manus Island. Kon Karapanagiotidis, chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and Kerryn Phelps, MP for Wentworth, join us to talk about the desperate situation in offshore immigration detention and the details of the legislation Coalition launches sonic boom on border protection Nine facts about the medical evacuation bill

Katharine Murphy talks to the Australian Medical Association’s paediatric representative, Dr Paul Bauert, who has treated children on Nauru. Bauert says the situation on Nauru has escalated over last few months. He’s been asked to review 14 cases and says the worst are children around the ages of 10. He doesn’t understand how politicians can let this go on as the situation becomes more desperate

Race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane joins Katharine Murphy and Gabrielle Chan to discuss the return of One Nation and the most effective way to counter her ideas. Soutphommasane recalls that Hanson’s maiden speech 20 years ago “made us feel unwelcome, it made us second-guess our position in society”. He argues that economic growth in itself is not enough to sway disaffected voters who have been left behind by globalisation and who turn to One Nation for solutions.

Could a simple change to the law make a difference for asylum seekers in Australia? Or do we need to stop acting as though there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of refugees? David Marr, Shukufa Tahiri, Jane McAdam, Daniel Webb and Geoff Gilbert explore alternative solutions to the current situation for asylum seekers in Australia

What’s it like combing through thousands of reports of abuse? Bridie Jabour talks to Paul Farrell, Helen Davidson and Nick Evershed about the investigation, how the project came together and why reporters used to covering immigration and child cruelty cases still found themselves shocked by what they read. ‘If this happened in an institution on the Australian mainland it would be shut down the next day,’ Evershed says

Dr Munjed Al Muderis lived very comfortably in Iraq but what led him to leave as a traitor? Today he is an inspiring doctor who specialises in crafting new limbs for amputees but to get here he risked a dangerous journey by boat and a long stay in detention. He tells the story behind his Dear Australia video

Film critic Luke Buckmaster speaks with Chasing Asylum director Eva Orner and Guardian Australia reporter Melissa Davey after a screening of the documentary for Guardian Australia's Film Club. They discuss safeguarding sources, why Orner decided to show security guards' faces and how the film's release strategy was designed to avoid government interference

In an audio play specially commissioned for the Guardian by Soho Theatre, a fisherman confronts the tide of refugees sweeping across the Mediterranean

In an audio play specially commissioned for the Guardian by Soho Theatre, a fisherman confronts the tide of refugees sweeping across the Mediterranean