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Asylum seekers - where to now?

6 May 2009

A fatal explosion on board a refugee vessel near Ashmore Reef off Western Australia in mid April has prompted heated debate about changes to the country's migration policy and the arrival of asylum seekers.

A number of asylum seekers have been intercepted entering Australian waters illegally so far this year, the most recent from trouble spots such as Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

A panel discussion, held as part of the Monash 2009 Public Lecture Series, will shed light on the issue, discussing the extent of the problem, the international context in which it is occurring and whether justice is being done in the way Australia is dealing with the arrivals on its shores.

The discussion will be facilitated by ABC journalist and broadcaster, Peter Mares, author of the award winning book Borderline: Australia's response to refugees and asylum seekers in the wake of the Tampa.

Panel participants will include Paris Aristotle from the Victoria Foundation for Survivors of Torture, Bruce Baird former Liberal MP and head of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Asylum Seekers Legislation, John Gibson from the Refugee Council of Australia, Voula Messimeri from the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council Australia and David Manne from the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre.

The public lecture will be held from 6 to 7 pm on Wednesday 13 May, 2009 at BMW Edge Theatre at Federation Square in Melbourne.

For more information and to register online for this free event visit the 2009 Public Lecture Series website.