The social and economic impacts of immigration detention facilities : a South Australian case study

The negative attitudes fostered by political rhetoric against asylum seekers create significant problems when asylum seekers are housed within communities. Much of the community’s opposition focuses on the perceived economic and social impacts of large numbers of asylum seekers. However, we currently lack research on the local economic and social impacts of asylum seekers. As a contribution to this evidence base our paper outlines a South Australian case study of the impact of a low security immigration detention facility on the local economy, health services and social cohesion. Our impact assessment found that community concerns were not borne out. There were increases in employment and local expenditure, no reduction in health care services or access, and tensions between residents subsided, as did initially strong reactions against the asylum seekers themselves. The minimal impacts were due to the government and community interventions such as seeking local contracts and providing onsite health services. This case study is used to provide some guidelines for other communities to effectively target the fears that matter most to the community – either through disseminating information that reduces fears and myths, or through planning and interventions that minimise negative impacts and enhance positive benefits. In this way, the arrival of asylum seekers can potentially become one that benefits all community members

‘We’re so lucky’ : meeting challenges to deliver benefits to children in immigration detention

Under pressure from crowded immigration detention centres and an election commitment to remove children from detention, in 2010 the Australian government opened a low security immigration detention facility for families and children in the Adelaide Hills. Children from this alternative place of detention (APOD) attend nine local schools. However, many local residents feared their enrolment would create conflict, reduce educational outcomes for local students, and overburden teachers and school resources. To answer these concerns we conducted an ethnography of the schools and interviewed school teachers, principals, parents, the education managers in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS). This paper reports our findings on the impacts of the new arrivals on school finances, teacher time and resources, the local children, and the broader Hills community. As did previous quantitative studies, we found no negative effects. Rather, the new arrivals created a newly enriched learning environment and social experiences. The schools also played an integral role in changing the initially hostile community attitudes towards asylum seekers. Our qualitative research approach allowed us to explore factors that created this outcome. We found that the absence of negative impacts was the result of the funding for specialised support staff, the social justice orientation of the school’s leaders and staff, and a school-wide commitment to values of inclusivity and diversity. This research provides further empirical evidence on the impacts of immigration on education, increases our understanding of the factors that mediate these impacts, and provides a useful case study for schools that teach asylum seeker children

A unified call to action from Australian nursing and midwifery leaders: Ensuring that Black lives matter

Nurses and midwives of Australia now is the time for change! As powerfully placed, Indigenous and non-Indigenous nursing and midwifery professionals, together we can ensure an effective and robust Indigenous curriculum in our nursing and midwifery schools of education. Today, Australia finds itself in a shifting tide of social change, where the voices for better and safer health care ring out loud. Voices for justice, equity and equality reverberate across our cities, our streets, homes, and institutions of learning. It is a call for new songlines of reform. The need to embed meaningful Indigenous health curricula is stronger now than it ever was for Australian nursing and midwifery. It is essential that nursing and midwifery leadership continue to build an authentic collaborative environment for Indigenous curriculum development. Bipartisan alliance is imperative for all academic staff to be confident in their teaching and learning experiences with Indigenous health syllabus. This paper is a call out. Now is the time for Indigenous and non-Indigenous nurses and midwives to make a stand together, for justice and equity in our teaching, learning, and practice. Together we will dismantle systems, policy, and practices in health that oppress. The Black Lives Matter movement provides us with a ‘now window’ of accepted dialogue to build a better, culturally safe Australian nursing and midwifery workforce, ensuring that Black Lives Matter in all aspects of health care