The Intern Diaries: Swapped From Manus To Missouri

What happens when you arrive in the USA after years on Manus Island? Reporter Dean Cornish chats about meeting two inspiring your refugees, experiencing freedom after years of trauma.

Reporter Dean Cornish and Mina Taherkhani. Source: SBS Dateline

Just last month, a second group of 58 refugees left Manus Island to be resettled in the United States, as part of a refugee resettlement deal between Australian and the US.

This week’s Dateline story, ‘Swapped from Manus to Missouri’ delves into the lives of Tirab and Mena – two refugees who were resettled in the US after spending time on Manus Island and Nauru detention centres, respectively.

Dateline’s US-based reporter, Dean Cornish, shared his experiences in filming the story with Dateline intern Pema Dolkar in this Intern Diaries podcast.

He said it was one of the most “emotionally challenging” stories that he’d done, and he was surprised with the resilience and courage of the refugees he interviewed.

“It’s not often that you get to sit down and talk about their experiences,” he says. “It was a humbling experience.”

Listen to Dean and Pema's conversation here: 

Click Here to watch the full episode: Swapped From Manus To Missouri