Refugee cosmopolitans : disrupting narratives of dependency

This article provides an alternative framing to so-called 'illegal refugees' in comparison with those dominating public discourse currently in Australia, drawing upon 'cosmopolitan social theory' and ideas of a shared humanity. It distinguishes between contemporary refugees and the nation-building approach to immigration policy, and the tensions in current humanitarian policy responses to refugees. It draws upon original research among refugees in Australia, providing narratives/stories which allow refugees to speak their own experiences in the host country of Australia.