A fair queue? Australian public discourse on refugees and immigration

‘Genuine’ refugees or illegitimate ‘boat people‘: Political constructions of asylum seekers and refugees in the Malaysia Deal debate

“…The 'queue' is constructed as an impartial decision-making process that is unaffected by the social and economic characteristics of individuals (Every 2006, 173;Gelber 2003, 25). The consistent emphasis on 'waiting' and the 'queue' in Australian political discourse during discussions of the Malaysia Deal is consistent with the wider body of literature suggesting that IMAs are often constructed as different from offshore applicants in terms of their status as 'legitimate asylum seekers' (Grewcock 2009;Gelber 2003;Every 2006;Pedersen et al 2006;Every & Augoustinos 2008). …”

Constructions of Australia in pro‐ and anti‐asylum seeker political discourse

“…During the 2001 Australian election, the conservative side of politics once again captured the ideology of egalitarianism through its contentious argument over the alleged queue jumping of asylum seekers (Johnson 2002). The use of the queue analogy is widespread in discussions about asylum seekers (Gelber 2003). Historically in Australia it has been used in arguments against granting asylum to Jewish citizens during the Second World War (Anti‐Discrimination Board 2003) and to the Vietnamese boatpeople in 1978 (Gelber 2003).…”

“…The use of the queue analogy is widespread in discussions about asylum seekers (Gelber 2003). Historically in Australia it has been used in arguments against granting asylum to Jewish citizens during the Second World War (Anti‐Discrimination Board 2003) and to the Vietnamese boatpeople in 1978 (Gelber 2003). In the 2001 debates it appeared ubiquitously across radio, television and the print media, and was used by journalists, the public, and in the parliament (Gelber 2003).…”

Grey networks: The contradictory dimensions of Australia's immigration detention system

“…Discourse analysts have drawn attention to a number of key narratives which have come to structure Australia's asylum seeker debate and justify the government's policies. These narratives include stories about the threat that asylum seekers pose to Australian values (Gelber, 2003;Gale, 2004;Randell-Moon, 2006;Dunn et al, 2007;Every and Augoustinos, 2007); to the maintenance of law, order and domestic security (McCulloch, 2004;Poynting et al, 2004;Brookes, 2010); and to national resources (Columbus, 2002;Green, 2003). While research confirms that these messages resonate with the electorate (McKay et al, 2011), Australians have also expressed concern regarding the human costs of deterrence.…”