Summary

Manual in form of ring binder folder containing loose sheets entitled: 'Refugee Manual. A Guide For Advisers', written and produced by Gerry Fox, Refugee Advice & Casework Service, Community Legal Centre, a Service of the Refugee Council of Australia, New South Wales and funded by the Law Foundation of New South Wales. It is illustrated with cartoons by Paul Somerville. The frontispiece is dated December 1992, the date of first publication while the page footers reflect publication updates of May 1993 and March 1994. These changing dates reflect the reality of frequently changing policy and procedures relating to migration law and the efforts of those involved to keep the manual up-to-date.

The Manual states that it has been produced for advisers of asylum seekers, providing a step-by-step guide to lodging applications for people both inside and outside Australia who require protection. The Manual is divided into four sections: Background on Refugee Law and Processing; Applicants in Australia; Overseas Applicants; Further Review and Referral. The information offers advice and guidance for caseworkers on Australian and international refugee law, interview skills and requirements; different types of applications, detention, people's rights and entitlements; settlement, housing, language and legal services. Thus it reflects significant policy shifts at the time such as the introduction of mandatory detention [1992] as well as refugees identified in a special assistance category in the early to mid 1990s such as Cambodian, Burmese, Sudanese, former Yugoslavians, former Soviet and Portuguese East Timorese refugees.

Physical Description

Manual in the form of a black, three-ring binder folder containing 233 double-sided pages including four section dividers. The front cover is printed in colour, with line-drawn parts of the world in boxes suggesting significant countries of refugee origin. All the inside pages are black and white printed photocopied pages with extensive text and some line-drawn cartoons. There is an extensive Table of contents and Index at the front of the Manual.

Significance

This Manual provides an interesting insight into the policy and processes guiding officials in the management of refugees in Australia. It also reflects a particular period in Australian migration history, first published at the same time as the first establishment of Australian mandatory detention laws in 1992 as well as refugee selection being influenced by major international conflicts and changes.

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