6. 'We Will Decide'

In Episode 6 of Australia Fair, host Janak Rogers tackles the tumultuous evolution of Australia’s refugee policies, tracing their origins back to the 2001 Tampa affair and the events of 9/11. This episode captures the heated protests at Woomera Detention Centre during Easter 2002, when activists clashed with authorities, and examines how these moments of crisis catalysed harsh new immigration policies under Prime Minister John Howard. As the show navigates the fallout from these events, including the notorious "children overboard" scandal, it explores the ongoing impacts on asylum seekers and the political landscape. Featuring voices from prominent figures like Behrouz Boochani, who spent years detained on Manus Island, and refugees still struggling with limbo under current policies, this episode offers a close look at the legacy of Australia’s immigration policies and the deep-seated issues surrounding them.

A picture released in August 2001 showing some of the 434 asylum seekers who were rescued from a ferry stranded in the Indian Ocean by the Norwegian cargo ship Tampa. Australia resisted pressure to allow the refugees to land on its territory, prompting a complex legal and diplomatic wrangle. Source: AFP / TAMPA/WILHELMSEN GROUP/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

It doesn't matter that I visit Australia or not. I was living in a prison, in a system that was established by Australia and was run by Australia. Actually, that was the true side of Australia. I didn't have to come to Australia to understand what is going on in this country. That system was enough for me to understand Australia. At least the dark side of Australia. I know that Australia has good side as well. But for me, you know, I was in that side.

Behrouz Boochani - writer, filmmaker and activist

Protesters speak with refugees at the Woomera Detention Centre on March 29, 2002. More than a dozen refugees escaped from the detention centre after some 500 demonstrators broke through a perimeter fence. Credit: Tony Lewis/Getty Images

LISTEN TO

6. 'We Will Decide'

SBS Audio

30:44English

Australia Fair offers a critical look at the nation's struggle to reconcile its diverse present with its exclusionary past.

Find all episodes in the eight-part series in the SBS Audio app or other podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and LiSTNR.

GUESTS

Behrouz Boochani - writer, filmmaker and activist

Assadullah Nazari - Tampa survivor

Harini - Sri Lankan refugee

Samira Zadeh - Iranian refugee

Australia Fair is created by Janak Rogers

Additional editing by Max Gosford

The podcast is dedicated to Joyrsri Trivedi Rogers (1945 — 2024). "Woman Extraordinary. Plenipotentiary. Citizen of the World, Origin India". And, to John Michael Rogers (1932 - 2002).