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Australia was discovered by James Cook in 1770 and he claimed it as the Great Britain
possession. Australia is located on the Oceania with total area 7,741,220 sq km1. After got the
independence on 1901, it became the Commonwealth of Australia with 6 states and 2 territories
of administrative; there are Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, New South Wales,
Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. Nowadays, Australia is
With the total number of people around 21 billion Australia becomes a county with
various societies. Australian people consist of the Australian original people and Australian
migrant. Recent time, most Australian people are migrants that come from outside Australia. The
percentage original of Australian people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, is only about 28%
of total population. Overseas migration to Australia has played important role on Australian
population changing. Each year, Australia welcomes more than 120 000 migrants and resettles
The history of immigration in Australia has begun around 50,000 years ago. It was started
when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay
Archipelago and New Guinea. The number of migration to Australia has been increase time by
time. Since World War II Australia has been host to more than 500,000 refugees with the
humanitarian program numbers never falling below 11,800 in any year between 1990 and 1995.
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It make Australia becomes the third highest recipient of refugees in the world2. Each year,
Australia welcomes more than 120 000 migrants and resettles around 13 000 people under its
humanitarian program. In 2006 until 2007, nearly 192 000 migrants permanently settled in
Australia and just over 14 000 were resettled under the humanitarian program3.
Many people around the world choose Australia as the destination to move. This fact is
usually caused by several factors. Firstly, economic factors, the advanced of Australia economic
makes the people around the world come to Australia to make their life better. With GDP per
capita around US$ 38,000, Australia include in the developed countries that can guarantee the
life of their people. Secondly is political factor, the political condition on their home country
which is unsafe makes the people have to moved from their country and find another safe place.
The Australia¶s foreign policy also can be a factor that makes Australia being the destination of
migration. Australia¶s immigration policy is global and does not discriminate on racial, cultural
and religious. Australia was one of the first countries in the world to develop a comprehensive,
integrated range of settlement services for immigrants. The Australian Government recognizes
that it is in the interests of new arrivals and the broader community to help immigrants become
part of Australian society as quickly as possible. The Australian government also commits to
make the cohesive and inclusive society. The government is really concern about the balance of
the rights, freedoms, and the living for Australian people. So that¶s why people argue that
Australia is one of the best places to move and get better life condition.
Recent time, there are many conflict occur in several countries that cause the instability
of economic, political and social condition on those country. That condition make the people that
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became the victim of the conflict leave their country and try to find another safe place. Australia
is one country that provides protection for asylum seekers who meet the United Nations
definition of a refugee, as defined in the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the
Status of Refugees½ The majorities of refugees in Australia have been and are resettled from
other countries through Australia's offshore humanitarian resettlement program. So, those people
claimed their self as the refugees and want to seek for asylum in Australia.
There is no doubt that the push factors concerning boat people making their way to
Australia have increased in recent years. And the numbers of people seeking asylum according to
UNHRC figures has substantially increased. Richard Towle, the regional UNHCR
representative, has said that worsening destabilization in countries such as Iraq, Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan will no doubt lead to greater numbers of people seeking asylum in our region,
regardless of border protection laws. But it is also evident that the surge in numbers on the
figures previously cited is greater than the international lift in numbers of persons seeking
asylum. That is the reason the politics of the situation allows the opposition to attack the
government on the border protection issue, but there is no clear evidence of causality between
the factors.
Australia as one of the countries who ratified United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees should be consistent in helping the refugees. Several
times ago, Australia didn¶t merely run the strict rule for the immigrant. It can be seen from the
large number of immigrant that has been settled in Australia. Yet, recent time, the high flow of
immigrant number makes Australian government implement stricter rule and action in order to
limit the number of immigrant that can enter Australia. For instance is the implementation of
several tests for the immigrant. The immigrant can¶t enter Australia before they pass the tests,
although they have complete document. Australia also has policy to make detention center on
their neighborhoods countries like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand by giving
them fun aid in order to hold the immigrant enter Australia territory.
Tampa Case is also the other example of the strict action from Australia in handling
immigrant. The case started on 26 August 2001 when a routine surveillance flight by Coastwatch
revealed the presence of a fishing boat approximately 80 nautical miles northwest of Christmas
Island. The vessel was carrying 438 potential asylum seekers en route to Australia before it broke
down. The following day Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) broadcast a call to any
merchant ships in the vicinity to render assistance to the stricken vessel. On this case, Australia
seems want to reject to allow the ship carrying 438 people to enter Australia territory and blame
Indonesia to responsible over the ship. The Tampa Case and other strict rule from Australian
government showed the inconsistency of Australia as the signatories of United Nations 1951
Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees in handling immigrant.
³Why Australia as one of the signatories in the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967
Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees has been slow in handling the immigrants?´
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National Interest is the ultimate goal of country that becomes the important factor in
decision making process4. National Interest is a fundamental objective and ultimate determinant
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that guides the decision makers of a state in making foreign policy. National Interest is general
conception, yet it is very vital and important for state¶s need. It involved on the sustainable of
state life like nations, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, military power and
economic prosperity.
The main goal of national interest is national defense in the effort to keep the national
unity and territorial integrity. Besides, the national interest of a state is also about the
State usually protect their national interest in international arena by show their power.
Either in hard power like military and force, or the soft power like diplomacy.
Perception is the way of someone¶s view toward a phenomenon based on the fact and
information that has been provided5. For state, the attitude of the states is depend on the state
For this case, it focuses on the threat perception. Threat perception is the perception of a
state which considers a situation or phenomenon as the threat for their country.
Ê Structural Dimension, it is about the politic machinery like bureaucrat, political system,
!Ê Geographical Dimension, it is about the location of countries related to the geographical
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)Ê Historical Dimension. It is related to the historical experience of someone in viewing certain
phenomena.
+Ê Socio cultural Dimension which is related to the socio culture aspect like ethnic, tribe,
5Ê Economic Dimension. It relates to the economic problem like investment, international trade
pattern, and the economic factors that can affect the economic growth.
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have an impact on inter-state interaction. Foreign Policy is a strategy or planned course of action
developed by the decision makers of a state vis a vis other state or othe international entities
Policy of a country often reflects the response of a state toward the environment domestic
and international efforts related to protecting and sustaining their national interests.
Opportunities and challenges of a country's foreign policy will always be changed according to
the national interests of the country's priorities in accordance with changes in domestic and
international environment.
According to several scholars, there are some determinants influencing the foreign policy
in one state. These determinants are divided into domestic determinants and external
determinants7:
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military context
condition
organizations communication
military
considerations
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propaganda, and
scientific support
agencies
Besides of that, Lentner also has classified the domestic factors influencing foreign policy
into 3 categories8:
1.Ê Highly stabilized determinant, which embrace geographical size, location, climate,
2.Ê Moderate stable determinant which include political culture, political style, political
3.Ê Unstable determinant which include short ± term attitudes, perceptions and public
opinion.
For external factors, Joseph Frankel specifically divides the international environment
It is derived from natural and geographical location of a state. The more or less of foreign
policy obviously includes geographical, size and location. The importance of the
geographical factor was asserted by John Rosenau when he said that ³the configuration of
the land, its fertility and climate, and its location relative to other land, masses and to
waterways to mentions but a few of the more important geographical factors all
contribute to the physiological environment through which officials and publics define
their links to the external world and the operational environment out of which their
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Geographical factors can therefore be significantly related to the attitudes and decisions
which, in the aggregate comprise a state¶s foreign policy and as much should be taken
Social environment arises from the will of other states or from the structure of
state system, and states are the social groupings which must be considered as relevant in
any foreign policy calculation. Relations among single states are thus intimately related
to the matrix of international system as whole and to the study of foreign policy of states
diplomatic channels and are limited to state relations, the state of the international system
as whole determines at least the broad outlines and sometimes the specific of alignments,
foreign policy of given states. The foreign policies of any countries are determined in part
by the foreign policies of other countries interested on the situation. This so because the
foreign determinants of any given countries foreign policies are the effective applications
and transfers of other countries. These patterns and the processes in the international
environment affects any countries foreign policy undertakings, but they are implemented
by and are the results of the capacities and predispositions of other countries in the
context of specific situations. Whichever units of the state system are directly involved in
a concrete issue, some general features of the system as a whole must be always taken
into account. Although the international society is only loosely organized, yet it has
states through a large number of institutional mechanism that have been created by
The foreign policy in one state can be changed time after time. According to Rosenau,
there are 4 types of foreign policy strategy based on the changing factor11:
1.Ê Preservative Foreign Policy Strategy. The changing happened because of the changes in
2.Ê Promotive Foreign Policy Strategy. The changing which happens is in leadership factor,
3.Ê Intransigent Foreign Policy Strategy. If the changing happens in structural factor, yet
4.Ê Acquiescent Foreign Policy Strategy. The changing happened due to the changing in
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From the theoretical framework, the writer can take the hypotheses that there are several
reasons for Australia government why they have been slowly in handling immigrant problems.
Firstly, in term of national interest, Australia wants to protect its national interest either in
economic and security, or sovereignty. In their perception, immigrant has become a threat that
can damage their national interest. In term of threat perception, immigrant problems for Australia
involved in the economic and socio culture dimension. In economic dimension, most of
immigrant who want to enter to Australia is unskilled people predicted will damage the
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economic stabilization of Australian economic growth. Meanwhile, in socio culture, the
government worried that the arrival of immigrant will disturb the native Australian and other
Australian that have been stayed in Australia formerly. Besides, the area of Australia today is
now full with the overseas immigrant. For this reason, the government should handle the
immigrant problems which consider as a threat for Australia carefully in order to not disturb their
national interest.
Secondly, in term of foreign policy, the pressure of Australian in handling the immigrant
has influenced the foreign policy decision making process. The immigration issue has become
the hot debatable issue in Australia so that¶s why Australian government should consider the
domestic factors carefully in making immigration policy. In the changing of foreign policy, the
case that happened in Australia is involved in Acquiescent Foreign Policy Strategy. It can be
seen because the changing that happened is the environmental factors which signed by the
external condition of other countries causing the changing in international environment. This fact
also can be a reason for Australian government has been slowly in handling immigration
problems.
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Holsti, Ole R. 1997. International Politic A Frame Work For Analysis; 3rd Edition. Prentice
Jack C Plano& Roy Olton. 1982. The International Relations Dictionary, 3rd Edition. Clio Press
Ltd: England
Lentner, Howard. 1974. Foreign Policy Analysis: A Comparative and Conceptual Approach.
Parkin, A. Summers, J. & Woodward, D. 2006. Government, Politics, Power, and Policy in
Rosenau, James. 1967. Foreign Policy Area in James Rosenau (ed.). Domestic Sources Foreign