Technology’s Refuge
The use of technology by asylum seekers and refugees
Author(s)
Leung, Linda
Finney Lamb, Cath
Emrys, Liz
Language
EnglishAbstract
An investigation into the use of information communication technologies by refugees during flight, displacement and in settlement, this book examines the impact of Australia’s official policy of mandatory detention on how asylum seekers and refugees maintain links to diasporas and networks of support. Given the restricted contact with the world outside of the immigration detention centre, the book juxtaposes forms and processes of technology-mediated communication between institutionalised detention, with those of displacement and settlement. It finds that while there are obstacles to communication in situations of conflict and dislocation, asylum seekers and refugees are able to ‘make do’ with the technology options available to them in ways which were less constrained than in detention settings. The book also outlines how communication practices during the settlement process focus on learning new technologies, and repairing the disconnections with family members resulting from separation and detention.
Keywords
Refugee communication practices; Communication in refugee detention; Asylum seekers and communication; Refugee use of communication technology; Diaspora communication; Refugees and technology-mediated communicationDOI
10.5130/978-1-86365-4241Publisher
UTS ePRESSPublisher website
https://utsepress.lib.uts.edu.au/Publication date and place
Broadway, 2009Series
UTS Shopfront Series, 5Classification
Communication studies
Australia