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A recording of an online seminar held on 12 June 2025, hosted by UNSW's Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law and Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, and the Australian Institute of Administrative Law (NSW). In the November 2023 case of NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, the High Court unanimously held that non-citizens could not be held in immigration detention when there was ‘no real prospect of removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future’. Since NZYQ, numerous cases have tested and refined the limits of this principle, including: ASF17 v Commonwealth; YBFZ v Minister for Immigration; and CZA19 v Commonwealth. This online seminar will explore these developments and the limits of administrative detention. Speakers Kate Bones is a Barrister at Banco Chambers with specialist expertise in public and administrative law. Kate appeared for the Human Rights Law Centre and the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law as amicus curiae in NZYQ v the Minister for Immigra

In 2027, governments are expected to adopt the world’s first-ever global treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters — a landmark step toward strengthening international responses in a time of intensifying climate risks. Yet, the current draft of the treaty barely mentions displacement at all. Our latest Policy Brief explains why that must change — and how. Here, co-authors UNSW Kaldor Centre's Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO and Dr Thomas Mulder discuss 'Foregrounding displacement and evacuations in the proposed treaty on the protection of persons in the event of disasters'. Recorded 20 May 2025 Read Policy Brief 17: Foregrounding Displacement and Evacuations in the Proposed Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/pdfs/law/kaldor/2025-05-policy-brief-foregrounding-displacement-treaty.pdf

A recording of a speed briefing held on Tuesday, 11 March 2025, to learn more about how misinformation works and what to do about it. For those who want a truthful discussion, yet may sometimes struggle to respond to false claims, a new report is designed to help you know what to do and when: Countering misinformation about refugees and migrants: An evidence-based framework, find it here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/kaldor-centre/our-resources/legal-and-policy-resources/countering-misinformation With an easy-to-follow decision tree and how-to examples, this report can equip you to respond across a range of situations— and lays the groundwork for you to create responses aligned with your own aims. Co-authors Professor Daniel Ghezelbash (UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law) and Saul Wodak (Behavioural Insights Team) step through the framework, empowering you to create stronger, fact-based conversations.

A recording of the celebratory launch of 'Judging Refugees: Narrative and Oral Testimony in Refugee Status Determination' held on 20 November 2024. This was a hybrid panel event co-hosted by UNSW's Centre for Criminology, Law & Justice, and the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, in conversation with Dr Anthea Vogl, Dr Tina Dixson, Associate Professor Maria Giannacopoulos and Professor Daniel Ghezelbash. In 'Judging Refugees', Anthea Vogl investigates the black box of the refugee oral hearing and the politics of narrative within individualised processes for refugee status determination (RSD). Drawing on a rich archive of administrative oral hearings in Australia and Canada, Vogl sets global trends of diminished and fast-tracked RSD against the critical role played by the discretionary spaces of refugee decision-making, and the gate-keeping functions of credibility assessment. About the author: Anthea Vogl is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She teaches a

Learn more about a ground-breaking new global toolkit to guide legal practitioners and decision-makers faced with refugee claims involving the impacts of climate change and disasters. 'International Protection for People Displaced across Borders in the context of Climate Change and Disasters: A Practical Toolkit' is a clear, systematic guide to this issue (https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/pdfs/law/kaldor/resource/2025-02-climate-protection-toolkit-full-eng.pdf). Listen to the speed briefing to quickly get an understanding of when, why and how existing refugee and human rights law can protect people forced to leave their homes in situations where climate change or disasters play a role. In this quick overview of the Practical Toolkit, hear from Professor Jane McAdam AO and Dr Tamara Wood, UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law (authors) and Dr Madeline Garlick, Chief of the Protection Policy and Legal Advice Section at UNHCR. This Practical Toolkit has been developed by the Kaldor Centre for

A recording of the inaugural Kaldor Centre Oration, delivered by Kate Eastman AM SC and Zaki Haidari on 21 November 2024. The Kaldor Centre Oration is a new flagship lecture hosted by the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney, designed to enrich the public conversation on refugee issues by showcasing transformational ideas that can spark fresh thinking and action. It is a valuable opportunity to build shared understanding and positive solutions. The inaugural 2024 event builds upon the Kaldor Centre’s track record of thought leadership, stemming from more than a decade of principled, evidence-based contributions to the refugee debate. This recording is for anyone interested in creating a better future – be they people with lived experience of displacement, civil society, legal practitioners, policymakers, business leaders or community members. About the speakers: Kate Eastman AM SC is a Sydney barrister working in the fields in human rights, discrimination, employment, public and

Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO, explains why Australia needs a new emergency visa to respond to humanitarian crises, which she and her co-author, Dr Regina Jefferies, propose as part of a broader emergency response framework in their new policy brief. Having a framework that could be activated in a crisis would enable a more predictable, streamlined and effective response. In the context of people fleeing the war in Gaza, and reports that the government is considering creating a new emergency visa, the policy brief has vital importance for individuals, policymakers and advocates across the sector. Watch to quickly get an understanding of the evidence behind their proposals for a better approach – for all concerned. The Kaldor Centre’s Evacuations Research Hub is a five-year project established in July, funded by an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship, to analyse why and how evacuations are used; what legal standards govern their conduct; and when and how they come to an end. Scientia Profes

UNSW's Kaldor Centre was established as the Abbott government came to power with its “stop the boats” campaign; the Centre showed the power of starting with hope, becoming the world’s first centre dedicated to the study of international refugee law. For a decade, Jane McAdam AO has steered the Centre as an authoritative, non-partisan voice of reason, playing a unique and valued role among those seeking a better approach to refugee issues in Australia, the region and internationally. Here McAdam shares stories from her time at the helm of UNSW's Kaldor Centre.

A recording of the closing keynote address at the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference: 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration' held on 20 November 2023. Kaldor Centre Director, Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO, reflected on the day’s discussions and the implications of future megatrends for international refugee law. Will international refugee law still have relevance a decade from now? What role can – and should – it play as the adverse impacts of climate change, enhanced technological surveillance and increasing automation of decision-making influence who is able to move across borders, and how they are treated when they arrive?

Recording of Panel Session 3 at the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference, 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration' held on 20 November 2023 at UNSW Sydney. Speakers: Peter Lewis, Executive Director, Essential Media Amanda Tattersall, Associate Professor of Practice, Sydney Policy Lab Lenore Taylor, Editor, Guardian Australia Shabnam Safa, Chairperson, National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group Chair: Lauren Martin, Communications Manager, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law As the Kaldor Centre embarked on its 10th anniversary, our flagship conference harnessed strategic foresight to inform the agenda for the decade to come. The 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference took participants 10 years into the future, to explore the forced migration challenges we may face in the decade to come. The purpose was not to predict the future, but to help us to be better prepared to shape the future we want to see and to help us think afresh about what we might need to do today to

Recording of Panel Session 2 at the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference, 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration' held on 20 November 2023 at UNSW Sydney. Speakers: Cathryn Costello, Professor of Global Refugee & Migration Law, University College Dublin Niamh Kinchin, Acting Dean of Law, University of Wollongong Edward Santow, Director, Policy & Governance, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney Shahyar Roushan, Senior Member, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Migration & Refugee Division Chair: Daniel Ghezelbash, Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law As the Kaldor Centre embarked on its 10th anniversary, our flagship conference harnessed strategic foresight to inform the agenda for the decade to come. The 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference took participants 10 years into the future, to explore the forced migration challenges we may face in the decade to come. The purpose was not to predict the future, but to help us to be better pre

Panel session recording from the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference, 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration' held on 20 November 2023 at UNSW Sydney. Speakers: Magdalena Arias Cubas, Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab Louis Everuss, Centre Coordinator, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, University of South Australia Adama Kamara, Deputy CEO, Refugee Council of Australia Nikolas Feith Tan, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute of Human Rights Chair: Madeline Gleeson, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law As the Kaldor Centre embarked on its 10th anniversary, our flagship conference harnessed strategic foresight to inform the agenda for the decade to come. The 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference took participants 10 years into the future, to explore the forced migration challenges we may face in the decade to come. The purpose was not to predict the future, but to help us to be better prepared to shape the future we want to see and to help

How do we start thinking about the future of forced migration? A recording of the opening keynote address from the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference, 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration'. A dynamic day-long program that challenged participants to step out of today’s set agenda to look forward to 2033 and consider, is the international protection regime capable of providing protection amid the seismic shifts underway? How can we ready law, policy and public debate to ensure protection for those who need it? Keynote presenter Aarathi Krishnan brought her vast experience in humanitarian and development foresight to steer us on our journey into the future – and how we can prepare for it today. A Harvard scholar, TED favourite and one of ‘100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics’, Krishnan was Strategic Foresight Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme–Asia Pacific. Recorded 20 November 2023 by the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law

A recording of the opening remarks from the 2023 Kaldor Centre Conference, 'Learning from the future: Foresight for the next decade of forced migration' to set the scene for the day long event. The conference took participants 10 years into the future, to explore the forced migration challenges we may face in the decade to come. The purpose was not to predict the future, but to help us to be better prepared to shape the future we want to see. The keynote presentations set out big trends and questions to spark longer term thinking. The panel sessions discussed three distinct future scenarios set in 2033. These were intended to provide a 'sandpit' within which to explore the challenges and opportunities before us, to help us think afresh about what we might need to do today to ensure protection for displaced people in the decade to come. Speaker: Frances Voon, Executive Manager, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law Recorded on 20 November 2023

NZYQ v Minister for Immigration (NZYQ) changed the landscape for immigration detainees in Australia. It led to the release of at least 149 people from indefinite immigration detention where there was no real prospect of removing them from Australia in the 'reasonably foreseeable future’. It also led to the rapid passage of new legislative provisions that could be used to restrict the freedom of those released. Under this legislation, the Commonwealth can seek Community Safety Orders if those released are considered to pose an ‘unacceptable risk of seriously harming the community by committing a serious violent or sexual offence’, allowing re-detention or the imposition of other restrictive conditions. Continuing detention orders have been accepted by the High Court of Australia as valid for people convicted of serious violent, sex or terrorism crimes in Australia. Community Safety Orders, however, differ from continuing detention orders in important ways, and they have not yet been tested in Australian cour

As the number of displaced people around the world continues to increase, the gap between the needs and availability of durable solutions grows wider. Resettlement plays an important role in providing solutions, and there is an increasing recognition of the potential role of complementary pathways, which can provide access to safety through other migration channels. These include labour mobility, education pathways, and community sponsorship programs. What is the current state of play in resettlement and complementary pathways? What potential do they hold to provide solutions to a greater number of displaced people? On 27 February 2024, a panel of international experts provided an update on current developments from around the world, in an event jointly hosted by the Refugee Council of Australia and the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law. This year, Australia was the chair of the Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP), the most important multilateral forum for UNHCR, State

As Shuja Jamal walked to the Presidential Palace in Kabul for work at 8.30am on 15 August 2021, ‘it was clear that this is unlike any other day … something in the air in the city ... You can actually feel it.’ Shuja is the former director-general for international relations for Afghanistan’s National Security Council, and his new book is 'The Decline and Fall of Republican Afghanistan', co-authored with William Maley. He takes us back to the day the Taliban took over. Ahmad Shuja Jamal speaks with the Kaldor Centre's Lauren Martin.

Rejoignez des chercheurs de premier plan sur la mobilité climatique en Afrique alors qu’ils discutent du lancement de la nouvelle série de publications Climate Mobility Africa Insights. Développé et publié par le Climate Mobility Africa Research Network (CMARN), avec le généreux soutien de la Fondation Robert Bosch et du Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Insights vise à faire progresser les réponses juridiques et politiques fondées sur des données probantes à la mobilité climatique en Afrique. Rejoignez des chercheurs de domaines tels que la réduction des risques de catastrophe, la transhumance, la violence sexuelle et fondée sur le genre et les droits de la personne, alors qu’ils partagent leurs points de vue sur les défis actuels et les options futures en matière de lois et de politiques. Les notes d’orientation et les fiches d’information d’Insights constituent une ressource incontournable pour les gouvernements africains, les décideurs et les autres chercheurs travaillant sur la mobilité clima

Join leading researchers on climate mobility in Africa as they discuss they launch of the new Climate Mobility Africa Insights publication series. Developed and published by the Climate Mobility Africa Research Network (CMARN), with the generous support of Robert Bosch Foundation and the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Insights aims to advance evidence-based law and policy responses to climate mobility in Africa. Join researchers from fields such as disaster risk reduction, transhumance, sexual and gender-based violence and human rights, as they share insights into current challenges and future law and policy options. Insights policy briefs and fact sheets provide a ‘go to’ resource for African governments, policy makers and other researchers working to address climate mobility in Africa. The Insights series also provides training and editorial support to authors who wish to publish their research, advancing diversity and representation within policy dialogue regarding climate mobility in Afric

In June 2023, as the last refugee in Nauru was flown back to Australia, the United Kingdom's attempts to introduce an Australian-style offshore processing policy were dealt a blow in the UK courts. The UK had tried to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda to have their claims for protection processed there. The British policy reflects that which Australia has operated since 2012, sending people who came by boat seeking safety to Nauru and Papua New Guinea to have their asylum claims processed. But on the 29th of June this year, the England and Wales Court of Appeal ruled that Rwanda was not a safe third country, effectively ending for now, the Government's offshore processing plans. To explain this policy and help us understand the implications of the recent court judgment, Kaldor Centre Senior Research Fellow Madeline Gleeson speaks with Dr. Natalie Hodgson, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Nottingham, and head of the Forced Migration Unit in the university's Human Rights Law Centre.