Book Review: Troubled Transit: Asylum Seekers Stuck in Indonesia

Abstract

Troubled Transit considers the situation of asylum seekers stuck in limbo in Indonesia from a number of perspectives. It presents not only the narratives of many transit migrants but also the perceptions of Indonesian authorities and of representatives of international and non-government organizations responsible for the care of transiting asylum seekers. Fascinated by the extraordinary and seemingly limitless resilience shown by asylum seekers during their often lengthy and dangerous journeys, the author highlights one particular fragment of their journeys - their time in Indonesia, which many expect to be the last stepping stone to a new life. While they long for their new life to unfold, most asylum seekers become embroiled in the complexities of living in transit. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is more than a location where people spend time waiting; it is a nation state that interacts with transiting asylum seekers and formulates policies that have a profound impact on their experience in transit there. 1. Introduction -- 2. Transiting Indonesia : past and present -- 3. The politics of detention -- 4. Life on hold -- 5. The limits of protection -- 6. Indonesia as a transit state : obligations, policies, and practice -- 7. Tidal ebb and flow : the Indonesia-Australia relationship -- 8. Selling hope -- 9. Conclusion.