Academics as Refugee Policy Advocates in Australia

Ainoa Cabada and Philomena Murray

June 2024

Academics are among those advocating for more humane refugee policies in Australia. In 2023, we asked these academics about their advocacy. Despite encountering reluctance from policymakers, academics developed strategies to bring about change. They have long collaborated with refugees and other advocates to expose cruel and unjust policies of Australian governments.

Our recently published research illustrates this relationship between academic advocacy and policy in Australia. We found that academics draw on their research and seek to influence decision-making. In our questionnaire 47 academic advocates for refugees explained how they engage on policy and the challenges they face and discussed how they might become more effective in their advocacy.

Academic advocacy: engagement and challenges

Most respondents regard engagement outside of academia as part of their academic role, with 89% working in research institutes and collaborative groups, including with refugees; civil society groups; non-governmental organisations; political party-led groups; family and friends. For example, one respondent is a ‘member of a board of refugee advocacy organisation, co-convenor of state and national collectives in support of people seeking asylum’ referring to this as straddling ‘both my work in academia as well as outside of it.’

Academics draw on their expertise to engage in activities such as speaking at conferences and panels, attending community meetings, vigils, demonstrations and attending community meetings. This illustrates a clear connection of academic advocacy in a broad range of actions.

When asked about the forms of communication they deployed, sending reports to policymakers was their most frequent approach as well as making presentations to decision-makers. Media engagement includes writing articles and blog pieces, and commentary on television and radio.

Most respondents were confident that their work contributes to an understanding of the harmful effects of Australia’s refugee policies. They see value in academic research in criticising government policies and emphasised that academics can and should offer expert advice, which can be effective in keeping issues in the public domain and maintaining pressure for compliance with international norms.

They were keen to combat a lack of accurate information and misinformation. Academic research is essential for shedding light on ‘why it is not acceptable, and how to rectify it.’ They emphasised the importance of academic collaboration with asylum seekers and refugees that can provide policymakers with the lived evidence of ‘the impacts of border protection policies and laws.’ Centres such as Kaldor Centre and Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness were praised for their consistent advocacy.

There are numerous challenges in advocacy, including that often it is difficult to engage with policymakers on refugee policy. Respondents experienced ‘a devaluation of academic and other expertise in the field and instead policy making that flies in the face of existing evidence-based research, or that is politically driven by agendas not shared by research in this field.’ Others encountered ‘roadblocks when seeking to access the research sites of primary interest.’ They refer to a ‘highly politicised policy space’ resulting in ‘significant reluctance’ for policy change, in their encounters with policymakers.

A small number of academic advocates had more positive experiences, and found that policymakers ‘willingly engage’, including ‘positive discussion with the Minister for Immigration’ and approaches to local Members of Parliament.

Respondents concurred on the difficulty to persuade policymakers to adapt research findings into policy. Some utilised strategies of seeking champions working within, and alongside, governments, and building support from, and with, civil society.

How might academic advocates become more effective?

Despite the challenges, academic advocates remain committed to continue their advocacy. We asked them about how academic advocates might become more effective.

Firstly, respondents emphasised the importance of working alongside people with lived experience and creating partnerships, due to the underrepresentation of people with refugee experience in academic positions and in developing policy that affects them. They do this for ethical reasons, as they seek to challenge unconscious bias related to ‘white saviour’ thinking. Their proposals included ‘enabling spaces for them to talk to positions of power,’ ‘co-researching and designing,’ ‘co-writing articles and reports,’ and ‘paying people for their expertise.’

Respondents see value in undertaking advisory roles, expert testimonies, research dissemination and engagement through consultations and meetings with policymakers. As there is relatively little engagement between what some politicians may wish to hear and what academics present, there remains scope to foster constructive engagement.

Increased support from universities is key to success for effective academic advocacy, to balance their advocacy and academic roles, with recognition of academic advocates’ work in their career. The expertise of scholars working on refugee rights issues who have ‘lived experience of asylum’ should be recognised and they ‘should be supported institutionally, academically, and financially,’ according to the respondents, for example ‘through jobs, scholarships/bursaries, grant collaborations, research partnerships/collaborations and other academic opportunities.’

Respondents remain committed to advocacy as ‘integral to their academic work’, in contesting societal narratives and policy approaches in Australia.

Ainoa Cabada is a Lecturer in the Department of Politics and International Relations at The University of Adelaide. Ainoa’s research examines the challenges in the interpretation of refugee rights when comparing three key frameworks of international protection. Ainoa was a research assistant at the Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies.

Philomena Murray, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam, is Honorary Professorial Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne; Visiting Research Fellow, Trinity College Dublin and Associate Research Fellow, United Nations University Institute for Comparative Regional Integration Studies, Bruges. She co-founded and co-convened Academics for Refugees. She was Director of the Comparative Network on Refugee Externalisation Policies.