• Australia seeks to process asylum seekers in East Timor

    In a policy announcement echoing the discredited ‘Pacific solution’ of the previous Liberal Government, the new Australian government has decided to seek to detain asylum seekers in a ‘regional processing centre’ in East Timor.  The new Australian policy reflects a general hardening of policies towards asylum seekers in the lead up to national elections.   ABC news report ex-Amnesty International chief as saying that this policy will  not work.   The policy also reflects increasing practice engaged in by European nations of engaging third countries to prevent arrivals of asylum seekers and irregular migrants.   A notable example is the detention in Libya of migrants seeking to reach Europe.  The Global Detention Project…