"The fence is very high": lived experiences of waiting amongst asylum seekers and refugees in Hobart, Tasmania

Barriers to international mobility have resulted in extensive delays throughout the process of seeking asylum. In Australia, strict border protection policies such as mandatory detention and the introduction of temporary visa categories have lengthened this process. Seeking asylum is defined not only by the space individuals inhabit but also, by time spent waiting. More importantly though, seeking asylum is defined by the lived experience of individuals. The global population of individuals seeking asylum are commonly referred to by the labels' asylum seeker' and 'refugee'. These labels form a generalised understanding of the 'refugee' that does not account for individual experience. Through an analysis of individual narratives, this thesis takes an ethnographic approach to consider the liminal nature of life as an asylum seeker in Hobart (Tasmania) and the impact of uncertainty on the resettlement practices of individuals from asylum seeker backgrounds. Offshore applications for asylum, mandatory detention and temporary protection are discussed in order to highlight the governmental strategies of power at play and the effect that the obstacles to protection have on the lives of individuals seeking asylum.