Building on Oliver’s (2020) concept of governmentality-effected neglect and applying an ethical lens, this paper examines how ideas and discourse shape migration and social policy during crises, particularly the role of state assumptions in fostering ethical contradictions in policy. We analyse secondary material and original qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with macro-level policymakers, meso-level civil societal actors and individuals at the micro-level directly affected by policy decisions. We argue that the pandemic led to a crisis-induced bricolage of policy, reflecting an ethical void. This approach, rooted in long-standing ideas about the value and role of temporary migrants in Australia, continues to influence policymaking, perpetuating systemic exclusions and reinforcing ethical challenges.
