The winners and losers of the Malaysian solution

As observed by the UNHCR, the critical test of the arrangement will be in its implementation, and in particular the checks that will apply in Australia for deciding whether asylum seekers should be transferred to Malaysia.  

If Australia is genuine about its commitment that all affected people will be treated with dignity and respect, it needs to be modeling it from the outset. The potential use of force on Christmas Island and the plan to post footage of deportations on social media is deeply disturbing.

The 4000 refugees who will be resettled from Malaysia to Australia win. That is a very welcome step, and one that is well within our means and could have been done independently of this arrangement. We could in fact do much more. A former High Commissioner for Refugees suggested that wealthy countries commit to a resettlement quota for refugees of 0.1 per cent of their populations. We are two-thirds of the way to that modest target.

In terms of the other refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia and across the region, there are no clear winners among them yet through this arrangement. And that is what we need to work towards. So – could we do better? Certainly. Changes will not come overnight, but we can start by changing the conversation, and backing our words with investments.

It’s time to stop talking about deterrence, and start talking about real solutions for some of the world’s most disadvantaged people. We need to invest strategically in solutions for the many, not the few.