The Influence of Policy, Cultural and Historical Contexts on Social Work and Human Service Practice Responses with People Seeking Asylum in Germany and Australia

ABSTRACT

This article explores the findings of a qualitative study comparing social work and human service practice with people who have sought asylum in Germany and Australia. Globally social workers are concerned with the record high of people forcibly displaced worldwide and the Global North host-nations’ increasingly hostile, discriminatory and restrictive policies towards people seeking asylum. This policy context is antithetical to the professional values of social workers and human services practitioners. The findings of this study reveal how the policy directly impacts social work and human service practice, creates unique ethical challenges and dilemmas and, subsequently, diverse practice responses. The paper also suggests that the country of practice influences how practitioners perceive and respond to ethical challenges and dilemmas. Through doing so, the findings challenge traditional understandings of critical practice theories that suggest that practice focused solely on the individual level is inadequate for work with people seeking asylum. Due to the diversity of contexts and their influences, we encourage social work and human services to view practice on a personal-political continuum when working with people seeking asylum.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research
• human service
• Australia
• Germany
• refugees
• asylum
• critical social work
• migration

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Australian Government Research Training Program Stipend Scholarship in supporting this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca S. Field

Rebecca S. Field is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work and Social Policy at Curtin University. Her research compares the impacts of policy on social services for people seeking asylum in Germany and Australia. Rebecca is a Tutor in the School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology at Curtin University and conducts research with the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University.

Donna Chung

Donna Chung is a Professor of Social Work and Social Policy. Donna has been involved in social work education and social research for over 20 years undertaking various teaching, research and management roles within higher education. Her research interests are primarily the areas of male violence against women, homelessness, gender and sexuality and social policy.

Caroline Fleay

Caroline Fleay lectures in human rights at the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University, and conducts research into Australian policy and human rights, transnational activism and human rights, and the rights of people seeking asylum. Caroline has also been involved with a range of community groups and human rights campaigns over the past three decades. She is currently a Board Member of the Refugee Council of Australia and continues to liaise with WA, national and regional refugee support organisations and activists to campaign on the rights of people seeking asylum.