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A golden cage: detention centres are being replaced by an equally appalling form of incarceration with the aim of dampening community concerns.

Article Excerpt
We have come a long way from the Tampa election in 2001. In the lead up to that election, Minister Reith released photos that he claimed were of asylum seekers who had thrown their children overboard and the Government took every opportunity to hype its 'border protection' policy.

This time both the major parties want asylum seekers and their treatment off the election agenda. This reflects the strength of community opposition to current refugee policies, but is also part of the spin that both major parties are attempting to put on the issue. Once again, child asylum seekers are being used, but this time to dampen community concern.

Both major parties are claiming to have dealt with community concerns about the treatment of asylum seekers and, while maintaining their hardline position of mandatory detention, have attempted to modify the harsh perception of their policies. The conditions of children in detention, in particular, have become the mechanism for highlighting...

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