To deter, distance and dehumanise: mandatory immigration detention and offshore processing of asylum seekers under Australian law

This thesis examines the law and practice concerning two key policies directed at asylum seekers who arrive or attempt to arrive in Australia by boat; immigration detention and offshore processing. It is comprised of four parts. Part 1 provides an overview of the thesis, consolidating the published material with reference to political theory. A summary of the chapters is provided in Part II. Part III considers the contribution maoe by my work to the literature on asylum seeker policy in Australia. The main body of the thesis is contained in Part IV, which is comprised of 11 papers published between 2004 and 2013. ·