"From Australian Influence to Rohingya Refugees: A Systematic Literature Review" by Bilal Dewansyah
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Abstract

The fact that Indonesia hosts asylum seekers and refugees attracted not only policy debate and media attention but also academic research. However, no systematic review has been conducted to assess the scholarly literature on this topic. This article is intended to fill this gap by presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) on asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia. As a result, I found five major themes in the reviewed literature: (1) the focus on the Indonesia – Australia relationship; (2) people smuggling; (3) refugees’ journey and living conditions in Indonesia; (4) Rohingya refugees; (5) legal protection and refugee status. However, this review also found some topics understudied as avenues for further research, such as the policy-and-lawmaking process, and the officials’ discretion or discretionary decision-making in implementing law and policy related to refugees, as well as the role of religion and ethnicity in law and policy on this matter. More importantly, this body of literature informs valuable findings, such as refugees’ self-surrender to the immigration detention centers and an acute silos tendency in Indonesian refugee governance that can contribute to the theoretical debate in this field.

Bahasa Abstract

Fakta bahwa Indonesia menjadi tempat bagi para pencari suaka dan pengungsi tidak hanya menarik perhatian media massa dan perdebatan kebijakan, tetapi juga penelitian akademis. Namun, belum ada tinjauan sistematis yang dilakukan untuk mengkaji literatur ilmiah tentang topik ini. Artikel ini dimaksudkan untuk mengisi kesenjangan tersebut dengan menyajikan tinjauan literatur sistematis mengenai pencari suaka dan pengungsi di Indonesia. Hasilnya, saya menemukan lima tema utama dalam literatur yang ditinjau: (1) fokus pada hubungan Indonesia-Australia; (2) penyelundupan manusia; (3) perjalanan dan kondisi kehidupan pengungsi di Indonesia; (4) pengungsi Rohingya; (5) perlindungan hukum dan status pengungsi. Selain itu, kajian ini juga menemukan beberapa topik yang belum dibahas sebagai bahan penelitian lebih lanjut, seperti proses pembuatan kebijakan dan peraturan perundang-undangan, dan diskresi atau pengambilan keputusan oleh para pejabat dalam mengimplementasikan peraturan perundang-undangan dan kebijakan yang berkaitan dengan pengungsi, serta peran agama dan etnis dalam peraturan perundang-undangan dan kebijakan terkait hal ini. Lebih penting lagi, literatur ini menginformasikan temuan-temuan berharga, seperti penyerahan diri para pengungsi ke rumah detensi imigrasi dan kecenderungan ego sectoral yang akut dalam tata kelola pengungsi di Indonesia yang diharapkan dapat berkontribusi pada perdebatan teoritis di bidang ini.

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