The Refugee Council of Australia has always taken a principled stand against offshore processing. Our view has always been that the policy is cruel and inhumane, and that its human and financial cost can neither be justified nor sustained. We have also consistently maintained the view that boat turnbacks should be abandoned as a matter of urgency.

Our views on the path beyond offshore processing, however, are less well-known. This short paper explains our existing recommendations in some of our key reports, including: Australia’s response to a world in crisis (March 2016, ‘Australia’s response’), Eroding our identity as a generous nation: Community views on Australia’s treatment of people seeking asylum (December 2015, ‘Eroding our identity’) and Improving Refugee Protection in Asia-Pacific: How Australia can make a practical difference (July 2015, ‘Improving refugee protection’).