I think I have been looking for a book like this for quite a while. I am a member of the Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children movement that is rapidly growing across Australia. I joined this group for two reasons. In the first instance, I was outraged that both major political parties were, in effect, asking me to accept that the collateral damage to innocent children and their families as a result of long-term destructive detention is necessary in order to stop other people drowning at sea. The second driver for me comes from my 45 years of experience working as a social worker with children whose development has been impacted upon by the trauma of abuse or neglect.

As an activist now, or irritant, I need to remain informed about all aspects of Australia's asylum seeker and refugee policies and practices and the impact of these, particularly on children. This book is a gold mine for me. It explains what is happening and provides evidence for better, more humane options. As a reader, I was overwhelmed by the number of acronyms, classifications, sub-classes and constantly changing legislation, none of which appear to be child focused, but all of which gave me insight into the complexity and dehumanising nature of the current refugee debate.

Mary Crook has brought together the experience and thinking of 20 people and, through them, many others who are all well positioned to talk with authority on refugee children and their futures. A short biography of all the authors is included at the front of the book.

The book has an introduction by Mary Crook followed by 14 well-linked papers covering different aspects of the arena in which refugee children are finding their feet in our communities. In her introduction, Mary discusses the recent and changing nature of refugee policy and sets the parameters for the book. She has included several informative tables. It is difficult for the average citizen to find up-to-date data in this age of secrecy; thus I found these tables very interesting.

In reviewing this book, it is difficult to do justice to each contribution and still keep the review manageable. The book is divided into three parts.

Part I includes two papers. The first is entitled Researching the Experience of Refugee Children: Key Ethical Considerations by Mary Ann Powell and Anne Graham. The authors caution about the considerable ethical tensions that arise and call for research processes based on reflexivity, rights and relationships. The second paper is Finding Refuge in Australia: How Law and Policies Affect the Entitlements of Children Entering as Refugees and Humanitarian Migrants, by Mary Crook and Hannah Martin. This paper highlights the fact that not all children from refugee backgrounds have been, or are, treated in the same way. She notes that the settlement story of refugees in Australia has almost become a tale of two countries.

Part II examines how refugee children and youth are selected for inclusion in managed programs for resettlement. It includes three papers. Chapter 3 is an essay by Margaret Piper AM titled The Strategic Use of Resettlement. Mary argues that ‘. . .the key to successful integration . . .is the quality of assistance refugees receive after their arrival and the attitudes of the host community’ (p.85). She finds that particularly vulnerable children may not always have access to resettlement.

Chapter 4, Overview of Resettlement in the Global and Australian Context by Mike Clayton, highlights the fact that globally the need for resettlement far outstrips available places. Chapter 5, Using Resettlement to Protect Vulnerable Refugee Minors by Margaret Piper AM and Graham Thorn, explores the deficiencies globally in identifying in a timely manner the most vulnerable children and adolescence for resettlement.

Part III focuses in on programs and practices that settle children and young people from refugee backgrounds. It includes nine papers all of which provide insight into the current dilemmas facing successful resettlement. The authors are not shy in placing blame where it needs to be placed and suggest ways forward by highlighting what can work. Collectively, they look at the downside of labelling, the need for ongoing, age appropriate support, the health impact psychologically and physically of trauma through war, displacement and detention, children with disabilities, educational needs and family reunification. They argue for child centred laws and policies that enable decision makers to respond flexibly to individual circumstances.

The contributors are as follows:

I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the mass movement of refugees across the world and particularly in Australia. I would love our politicians to read this book without overlaying the information with short-term political expediency. Professionals working for the betterment of children with refugee backgrounds will really appreciate the wealth of easily readable and digestible information brought together in this book. It will assist policy makers and professionals to conduct their segments of work with these children and young people within the wider complex context that has brought them to their attention.