How World War II shaped Australia's approach to refugees

During World War II, millions of people were displaced. It is estimated that just after World War II there were 40 million displaced people (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2000). Millions of European Jews lived their life at that time fearing persecution from the Nazi party. This paper describes experiences of the Jews and the persecution they suffered during World War II, concentrating on the effect their plight had on changes to international acceptance of refugees. This is intended to provide relevant background context to focus on the political amendments which took place in Australia to accommodate refugees as a result of World War II. As laws and policies concerning refugees within Australia have continued to change, this paper outlines these changes, questioning whether they have improved Australia's response to refugee crises. It then compares the adequacy of Australia's services today to those arranged during and shortly after World War II.