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As the number of Australians travelling and living overseas continues to increase, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been forced to devote a growing proportion of its resources to providing consular services to Australian travellers.
Looking after Australians overseas
About the author
Hugh White
Professor Hugh White AO FASSA is Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra.
In this paper, Professor Hugh White charts the reasons for the growth in demand for consular services and considers the difficulties the Australian government encounters in attempting to meet these expectations. According to Professor White, the significant expansion of consular services not only presents practical challenges with resources and priorities, but also raises issues of public policy principle.
Professor White poses questions about the opportunity costs associated with such an extensive commitment of DFAT’s resources to the operation of consular services. According to White, this prioritisation has an adverse effect on the capacity of the Australian foreign service to carry out the diplomatic work with which it has been charged. Important diplomatic work in countries where Australia has significant interests has suffered as the allocation of DFAT’s resources has shifted from traditional diplomatic activity and public diplomacy towards consular work.
This is not to say that Australian governments should not assist Australian citizens abroad. But Professor White argues for reasonable limits to be attached to what is promised by governments. Professor White makes recommendations on how the Australian Government can set realistic guidelines and limits to the operation of its consular services and communicate this reality to Australian travellers. Finally, he argues that in order to carry out ‘its core work in promoting Australia’s long-term international interests’ DFAT must receive increased funding.
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