Lisa Singh

Labor Senator Lisa Singh will be taking part in a refugee forum at Harvard University’s Kennedy School today, with a focus on the history of Australia’s refugee policy. The forum, entitled Lessons from Australia's refugee crisis, will be moderated by Harvard Professor Jacqueline Bhabha.

Senator Singh says the forum will provide an opportunity to speak directly to Harvard University students about the issues surrounding Australia’s refugee policy.

The Senator will also use her trip to meet with Australian students studying at Harvard, and to speak at a separate Harvard forum about the lessons she has learned during a decade in Australian politics.

“Australia’s approach to refugee policy has changed markedly in recent years, from welcoming post-war migrants, Vietnamese boat people, and Kosovars, to locking people away indefinitely in offshore detention camps.”

“The rising influence of the politics of fear in Australia is a direct result of our political failure to explain the benefits of accepting refugees.”

“Last month’s UN Refugee Summit committed countries to work towards a Global Compact for sharing responsibility for refugees by 2018, and this includes Australia.” 

Senator Singh is currently attending the UN General Assembly as a delegate of the Australian parliament. She will be attending the Harvard University forum in her role as a Labor Senator.  

The prestigious John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University is a centre for post-graduate study of government and public administration.

Professor Jacqueline Bhabha is FXB Director of Research, Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health, the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School, and an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. 

RELEASED: 27 OCTOBER 2016