Border closures and other mobility restrictions were one of the first measures taken by nation states across the world in response to the spread of COVID-19. They remain today one of the few interventions that are widely credited with restricting the spread of the virus. Globally, even political parties and campaign groups that are traditionally enthusiastic about global mobility have largely accepted that it is currently expedient to restrict it. Some countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have already publicly asserted the need to maintain the strictest of border controls for many months, possibly until a vaccine or other medical response to the virus is discovered.

Policymakers, commentators, community groups and campaigners, therefore, need to turn their attention quickly and effectively to these issues. In order to assist them in doing so, therefore, the Sydney Policy Lab convened a small group of internationally respected experts in the politics and practice of migration and asked them to identify the key issues to which attention should turn.

This short policy paper is the result. We put these experts’ views forward in the hope that they can both guide the reflection of those confronted with the need to make immediate decisions and stimulate widespread discussion about the best way in which to take Australia and other countries forward both in the immediate crisis and in the longer term.