Geoff over at BLDGBLOG has a great post about how Australia’s strange bid to avoid refugees makes some islands both Australian and not Australian. These islands become strange limbo zones of tortured legality, much like in “The City and The City”.

It’s strange to see them give up sovereignty over land to avoid their own laws about providing safe harbor to refugees. It seems that the self-image of mercifulness is more valuable than the land, but less valuable than actually welcoming in refugees.