"FROM a vantage point in the First World, debates around refugees carry a strong whiff of parochialism," Peter Gatrell observes in his excellent new book, The Making of the Modern Refugee.

Compassion as a motivator for action is overrated, writes Klaus Neumann in Inside Story, but Go Back to Where You Came from is a reminder that it’s not a bad starting point.

The debate about refugees and asylum seekers is confused by a misunderstanding of the origins of the 1951 Refugee Convention, writes Klaus Neumann on Inside Story.

The parties are making promises like there’s no tomorrow and policy like there’s no yesterday, writes Klaus Neumann.

A visit to Australia’s most remote outpost highlights the failure of the federal government to lead a rational debate, writes Klaus Neumann.