International refugees in Indonesia

This seminar will offer insight into the domestication of the international refugee regime, particularly in the context of Indonesia, a country that is not a party to the 1951 Refugees Convention and its 1967 Protocol. The seminar also will situate refugee reception discourse within a wider frame of citizenship discourse, highlighting the discursive relationships between the state, the citizens and the refugee other.

Background

A stretch of over 17,000 islands between Southeast Asia and Australia, the Indonesian archipelago is strategically situated on emerging refugees’ migratory trajectory in the Asia Pacific region. Approximately 14,000 refugees are currently ‘stuck’ in Indonesia; unable to return to their countries of origin, integrate locally in Indonesia, nor move on to resettle to a third country.

In December 2016, the government of Indonesia established the Presidential Regulation no. 125/ 2016 on the Handling of Refugees from Abroad, the first legal framework in Indonesia to address the presence of refugees. On one hand this has created a momentum for advocacy of refugees’ rights by international and national organizations. On the other hand, the regulation’s implementation is driven by concerns over security rather than the protection of refugees, leading to their increased control and surveillance.

The seminar will combine a frame analysis of Presidential Regulation no. 125/ 2016 with interviews and participatory observations during forums and workshops on refugees’ rights.