The Wire

In a landmark decision last week, the high court unanimously ruled that the Australian government is obliged to give sanctuary to anyone who faces persecution in their homeland, despite the availability of another country for settlement. The ruling challenges a policy that’s been in place for more than fifty years. Until now, the Australian Government has refused to take in Jewish asylum seekers on the basis they can find refuge in Israel. But in this week’s test case, the High Court ruled that Australia is obliged under the UN Refugee Convention to grant protection visas to two Russian Jews.