A major SBS investigation has revealed that secret arrangements were made to potentially intern thousands of new migrants and refugees in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s.
With the assistance of the Immigration Department, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) during peace-time maintained what became known as the Special Alien Index of people regarded as possible security risks.
The existence of the lists, maintained until the 1970s, has never been publicly acknowledged.
Among the names are hundreds of migrants who for decades were denied citizenship on political grounds.
Some of them are now calling for national acknowledgment of what they say was wrongful treatment by past Australian governments.
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