go back to where you came from

There was an awesome documentary on SBS last week. It followed some opinionated Australians on a backwards asylum seeker journey: they got to live with new refugees settling in Australia then reverse the trip they took to get here —leaky boats, detention centres and all— to their original war torn countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq.

The documentary didn't make any political statements for or against illegal immigrants, detention centres or immigration policies, it just made clear that the asylum seeker conversation needs to be ongoing and educated. The participants' preconceived notions were challenged (as most of them hated and feared refugees, without having had met any, before the show) as they got to know some genuine people and then found their families back in the home country. They discovered what the living horrors of day-to-day life are; war, rape, hunger, disease. Some of them (the Australian participants) realised that if their positions were reversed, they too may also choose to risk everything by getting on a "leaky boat" for a chance at a better life for themselves and their families.

You can watch the three episodes online here.