From Anger to Baklava: Lessons Greece and Australia Share on Refugees

A sharp contrast marked recent events in Melbourne: one night, anti-immigration chants filled the streets, and the next, a lecture hall buzzed over plates of baklava as scholars, advocates, and community members convened to discuss refugee rights and global responsibility. The panel, co-hosted by Monash Global Peace and Security Centre and Advocates for Dignity, framed the refugee crisis not as a political abstraction but as a deeply human issue. Speakers drew connections between hardline policies—such as Australia’s offshore detention and Greece’s pushbacks—and the broader trend of populist fear politics. 

The dialogue centred on what the two nations can learn from each other. Australia’s past openness—such as during the Vietnamese refugee intake—was contrasted with current restrictive practices. Greek experts emphasized that displacement is accelerating due to climate shifts and resource conflict, and urged a shift from fragmented, fear-driven responses to unified policies grounded in human dignity. The panelists insisted that leadership, public narrative, and moral responsibility must align if societies are to respond compassionately and sustainably to the wave of global displacement.

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From anger to baklava: What Greece and Australia can teach each other about refugees