A clash of paradigms for asylum seekers : border security and human security

The public policy domains of border protection and asylum seekers are both seen as priority issues for governments in Australia and abroad. This chapter discusses the adversarial approach that has taken hold for more than a decade on the rights of asylum seekers. At the centre of the dispute is the manner in which border security and human security paradigms are presented as binary opposites in the political and public domain. The protagonists of each position rarely engage in dialogue and the voices of compromise, negotiation and moderation are muted. This chapter explores the manner in which a border security approach has taken hold and provides a preliminary exploration as to how placing human security to the forefront would conform with human rights obligations and norms.