Dual-trained in journalism and law, Kristian has held a range of roles in the Department of Home Affairs since 2015, with a particular focus on protection assessment and administrative law. Kristian was previously a Department of Immigration and Border Protection Research Fellow in the Migration and Border Policy Project at the Lowy Institute, undertaking research on comparative approaches to establishing identity in undocumented asylum seekers. Kristian currently works in Refugee, Humanitarian and Settlement Division, advising on lawful decision-making, litigation outcomes, and protection assessment reform.
Kristian’s research at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) will consider how administrative decision-makers make findings of fact in the absence of verifiable evidence. Through the lens of protection obligations assessment, Kristian’s research examines how decision-makers exercise their discretionary powers in probing, weighing, and constructing their assessment. This research will contribute to building and maintaining the trust of the Australian public and government in their institutions by improving the consistency and fairness of visa decision-making.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Nick Bainton
Publications
- Hollins K (1 August 2023) ‘Possible, Probable, Plausible: What is ‘credibility’ in Refugee Status Determination?’ Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) Blog, accessed 15 March 2024. https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/article/possible-probable-plausible-what-is-credibility-in-refugee-status-determination
- Hollins, K (2023) ‘KQHR and the Consideration of Psychological Evidence in Visa Decision-Making’, UNSW Law Journal Forum 2023(4). https://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu.au/forum_article/kqhr-and-the-consideration-of-psychological-evidence-in-visa-decision-making
- Hollins K (11 April 2018) ‘Comparative international approaches to establishing identity in undocumented asylum seekers’, Lowy Institute Working Paper, accessed 15 March 2024. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/comparative-international-approaches-establishing-identity-undocumented-asylum-seekers