Sospol : Jurnal Sosial Politik
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2026): July-December (In Progress)

Externalized Borders, Internalized Control: The Politics of Detention in Indonesia-Australia Migration Governance

Mohammad Nashiir (Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia)
Atin Prabandari (Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Jul 2026

Abstract

This journal article analyzes the internalization of Australian border controls within Indonesia's immigration detention governance. The primary research focus is the active agency of domestic authorities, which has been largely overlooked in existing literature. Utilizing a qualitative method with a case study of Rudenim Tanjungpinang, a facility occupying a crucial migration corridor between both nations, this study uncovers the strategies of local actors exploiting external funding for national interests. The conceptual framework integrates border externalization, strategic non-regulation, and migrant rentierism to dissect data from journals, books, policy documents, and official reports. Findings demonstrate that through regulatory ambiguity, Indonesian officials successfully assert territorial sovereignty while extracting political and financial benefits from Australia. Consequently, Rudenim Tanjungpinang operates as a hybrid control apparatus, shifting external containment into domestic management. Beyond these mutual state benefits, asylum seekers endure the tragic consequence of being trapped in prolonged limbo. This inquiry underscores that transit states are proactive strategic agents within the global political economy of migration. Due to specific facility data limitations, the depth of analysis is carefully situated within broader national and bilateral migration patterns.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

sospol

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

The Social and Political Research Center (PKSP), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang proudly presents Journal Sospol (Sospol: Jurnal Sosial Politik). Journal Sospol cordially invites researchers, academicians, and experts to submit research on sociology, ...