UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law

First NZYQ cohort member deported to Nauru under opaque deal Australia could end up paying the tiny island nation about $2.5 billion over three decades if the more than 350 former detainees are successfully resettled.

BREAKING / ABC report: First person sent to Nauru under new deal.
In a statement, a Nauruan govt spokesperson said the agreement reaffirmed "Nauru and Australia's shared commitment to humane, lawful, and mutually respectful management of migration and settlement".
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

AI Insider: navigating justice pathways | Inside UNSW Hear Me Out, a free, user-friendly website, is helping people understand and exercise their legal rights when lodging a complaint.

A legal diagnosis tool, a one-stop shop where people can type in any legal issue and receive clear guidance on next steps.
Read
@danghez.bsky.social
on #HearMeOut w/ @njpjustice.bsky.social & Portable
www.inside.unsw.edu.au/societal-imp...

'Refugee protection is not only an act of obligation but of shared opportunity.'
@danghez.bsky.social
opens #Kaldor25

The report is a joint collaboration between @idcoalition.bsky.social, @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and Refugee Law Lab.

It can be read here: idcoalition.org/wp-content/u...

Technology & Digital Futures feat. Antonella Napolitano Please use this form to sign up for the Border Criminologies Technology & Digital Futures seminar with Antonella Napolitano on Thursday 30th October from 15:00–16:15 GMT. Antonella will present a ne...

Join us online on 30th October: I'm very much looking forward to presenting the report on technology and alternatives to detention I recently worked on, hosted by the Technology & Digital Futures thematic group of @bordercrim.bsky.social

Sign up here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Bridging, not breaking: Keynote speaker spotlight on Mohammed Naeem

‘We’re not there to hide. We’re there to be seen.’

An excellent insight into #Kaldor25 keynote speaker Mohammed Naeem of @refugeesinternational.org – read it today (and register to join us next Thursday!): www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/10...

' ... the problem is not refugee law, it is the cynical, timeworn deployment of xenophobic and racist rhetoric to create fear and undermine democratic institutions' writes Kate Jastram @cgrsasylum.bsky.social in response to recent 'reform' proposals cgrs.uclawsf.edu/en/our-work/...

Not ‘helpless’: Kaldor25 Speaker Dor Akech Achiek on dignity, participation and change

For Dor Akech Achiek, the journey into refugee advocacy is inseparable from his own story. His focus on dignity, participation and systemic change will be at the ❤️ of his #Kaldor25 panel, 'From rhetoric to reality: Centering the meaningful participation of refugees'. www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/10...

High Commissioner’s Opening Statement to the 76th plenary session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme | UNHCR (As delivered)Mr. Chairman, Señor Presidente, Distinguished Delegates, Dear colleagues,

'Let there be no mistake: the daily repetition of atrocities is intended to numb our conscience. To make us feel powerless.

'But we are not. Our power is to maintain moral clarity and reaffirm fundamental humanitarian values.'– Filippo Grandi @unhcr.org

www.unhcr.org/news/speeche...

Trump Administration Is Said to Plan to Cut Refugee Admissions to a Record Low

President Trump is expected to lower the ceiling on refugee admissions to 7,500, a drastic decrease from the cap of 125,000 set by the Biden administration last year, according to a presidential determination dated Sept. 30 and signed by Mr. Trump. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...

Asylum seekers on Nauru going hungry despite government spending $1.5m a year for each person The Australian government is spending millions of dollars a year to house asylum seekers, yet many say they can not afford food and are forced to skip meals

Despite reports that Australia's govt is spending $1.5m a year for each person it holds in Nauru, asylum seekers there are going hungry: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Thank you to everyone at @mobileucph.bsky.social for so generously hosting me over the next three months and for creating opportunities like this!

@kaldorcentre.bsky.social @danghez.bsky.social

At least 29 Americans have sought asylum in Australia since second Trump presidency began Applications from US citizens make up less than 1% of monthly applications but have risen steadily since Trump’s inauguration

Immigration attorneys have reported small but sharply rising numbers of U.S. citizens seeking asylum in Canada, the UK, Ireland and other European countries.

Add Australia to the list.

New @australia.theguardian.com story with input from @danghez.bsky.social:

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Without a shift in policy, the dominant trajectory of technology in immigration will continue to be digital surveillance. It doesn't have to be that way.

Very glad to talk about our global research on technology and alternatives to detention on @techpolicypress.bsky.social.

Technology is Turning Immigration Detention into an Invisible Leash | TechPolicy.Press Rights-based and community-centered alternatives to detention are possible, write Petra Molnar, Daniel Ghezelbash, Carolina Gottardo, and Antonella Napolitano.

'We should not mistake surveillance for freedom.'
New piece by @petramolnar.com, @danghez.bsky.social, Carolina Gottardo and @svaroschi.bsky.social in @techpolicypress.bsky.social
#SecurityTech #HumanRights #BorderSecurity #ImmigrationPolicy #Surveillance
www.techpolicy.press/technology-i...

Building bridges: Advancing refugee protection in a divided world | 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference The 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference brings together policymakers, practitioners, scholars, civil society and people with lived experience of displacement — to ask the hard questions, share ideas and bui...

See our amazing speaker lineup for the 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference - and register now! conference.unsw.edu.au/en/2025-kald...

Foregrounding Displacement in the Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters This week, the leaders of the Pacific Island States will have their annual meeting at the Pacific Islands Forum to discuss key issues impacting the region. In recent years, leaders have adopted signif...

As Pacific leaders meet ⁦‪@ForumSEC‬⁩ this week to discuss the impacts of climate change, the proposed Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the event of Disasters is pertinent to discussions. ⁦Thomas Mulder and I explain why. www.ejiltalk.org/foregroundin...

Cover image for a report entitled "From Surveillance to Empowerment: Advancing the Responsible Use of Technology in Alternatives to Detention" Accessible text via link

A busy week...

My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:

www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...

‘The choice is stark: ‘Digital tools can either entrench surveillance and control, or they can empower people-on-the-move and promote dignity and freedom. Our principles provide a roadmap for governments to choose the latter.’
– @danghez.bsky.social
Read: www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...

Looking forward to the launch of this report next 16 September in Geneva and online!

For the past year, I have been working with the @idcoalition.bsky.social to research the use of technology in alternative to detention and immigration detention, in partnership with the @kaldorcentre.bsky.social

🔔 Do not miss this upcoming event in Geneva on 16 September.

Brilliant scholars -
@danghez.bsky.social, @petramolnar.com, and @idcoalition.bsky.social - launch a new report, discussing whether technology are alternatives or extensions of detention.

In person and online participation. More info 👇️

2025 Kaldor Centre Conference Join us at the 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference, Building bridges: Advancing refugee protection in a divided world.

Friendly reminder to book NOW – earlybird prices end tonight! events.humanitix.com/2025-kaldor-...
📅 23 October 2025 | UNSW Sydney + online
This year’s opening keynote is dynamic global advocate Mohammed Naeem/Refugees International; closing is Hugh de Kretser/Australian Human Rights Commission.

Kaldor Centre Conference 2025 speaker spotlight: Sukhmani Khorana Leading scholar speaks on the impact of refugee experiences on our screens, their place in an era of ‘information disorder’ and what the media needs to do for real representation.

How do we foster constructive dialogue in polarised times?

@sukhmanikhorana.bsky.social, a leading scholar on migrant media, empathy & disinformation, will bring her insights to #Kaldor25.
Read more about the moments that sparked her interest in this work: www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/09...

At the first @mpc-eui.bsky.social of 2025-26 today, @danghez.bsky.social of @kaldorcentre.bsky.social presented an easy-to-follow framework for spotting and countering misinformation about migrants and refugees.

➡️ Available at migrationpolicycentre.eu/events/?id=5...

From Surveillance to Empowerment: Advancing the Responsible Use of Technology in Alternatives to Detention Join us to launch a new report report on the responsible use of technology in alternatives to detention.

Are digital tools like GPS ankle monitors & tracking apps really “alternatives” to detention?
🚨 New report from us, Refugee Law Lab & @idcoalition.bsky.social shows these technologies often expand detention in new forms—harming rights & dignity.
🔗 Register: events.humanitix.com/from-surveil...

We're so excited about the program for #Kaldor25, where you can join global and Australian leaders who are dealing with the formidable challenges facing forcibly displaced people today.
ALSO exciting - early-bird 20% discount has been extended until Monday 15 Sept. Book now: bit.ly/45NRiNx

On Saturday, our own Sherine al Shallah will be the keynote speaker at LIFE Australia's annual gala dinner, raising funds to help the youth of Lebanon access higher education for a better future.
Excellent speaker, excellent cause–sending our best wishes to all attending for an excellent evening.

While Labor spins lines about cohesion, its inhumane migration choices betray a disregard for human rights | Elijah Buol We must fight for the Australia we wish to see – the one that welcomed me, an unaccompanied minor orphaned by war

'Actions speak far louder than words, and this government’s actions are telling us all we need to know.'
The @ascsyd.bsky.social's Seek Elijah Buol in @australia.theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

📣Ahead of tonight's Three-Minute Thesis Final @ UNSW, we'd like to congratulate all the finalists–but especially the Kaldor Centre's Mia Bridle, representing UNSW Law & Justice.👏👏👏

Mia brings Law and Applied Mathematics degrees to cutting-edge research into fairness in refugee decision-making. #3MT

THIS WEEK: What do the recent Advisory Opinions by the International Court of Justice and IACtHR mean for people on the move in the context of climate change? Find out at this 4 Sept virtual event: bit.ly/4mCTuxj