ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the features and characteristics of refugee children, and why Australia, Italy and Indonesia were selected for this study. It represents the three very different countries dealing with the education of refugee and asylum-seeking children, and so substantial comparisons can be made on their policies, procedures, experiences and the trajectory of Arabic-speaking people’s stay (or otherwise) in all nations. Australia is regarded as a permanent country of resettlement, Italy is viewed as a temporary haven and Indonesia is a gateway or transit country for refugees. Forced migration, as distinct from economic migration, has become a significant aspect of the global flows, and has implications for the institutions of human rights, legal and governance systems and citizenship within countries receiving refugees and asylum seekers who want settlement in a secure country where their prospects of life are better.
