Lessons Learnt from Episode 1 of Go Back To Where You Came From

A NOTE FROM MAMAMEDIA: I'll begin by making my feelings on the issue of asylum seekers very clear: I am opposed to our government's immigration & border patrol policies. I am embarrassed to call Tony Abbott our Prime Minister and as for former Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, I find him to be an absolutely appalling excuse for a man. No matter what he achieves in his political career, to me he will always be the man who opposed an eight year old orphan coming onshore to attend his parents funerals.
As our anthem states: We've boundless plains to share.
You are welcome here.

L-R: Jodi, Renee, Nicole, Kim, Davy and Andrew 

Last night saw the premiere of the third season of SBS's award winning program, Go Back To Where You Came From. For 25 days, we follow 6 ordinary Australians as they walk that proverbial mile in the shoes of an asylum seeker: from their new lives in Australia, to their terrifying journey across the seas, back to their origins in countries torn apart by conflict.

Our participants this season are:
Davy, a former boat person himself, who considers today's asylum seekers "queue jumpers"
Kim, a Stop The Boats campaigner
Nicole, a detention centre whistleblower
Renee & Jodi, sisters with opposing views on the issue of asylum seekers
Andrew, a "tough talking teacher" opposed to boat people but adamant he is not racist

Tonight's premiere had much to teach us...prepare to take notes.

:: Kim Vuga apparently believes in "speaking kindly, caring deeply, giving generously" ...just not when it comes to those nasty people on boats apparently...

:: 'ENGLISH' LESSON: There is no 'L' in Australia, guys. It's just Austraya. /Au-stray-YUH/. You're welcome.

:: If you flee persecution in Iraq & Syria and end up in Malaysia - a country that is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and therefore has no duty or obligation to recognise & protect you - then you have escaped danger, all is well with the world and you no longer have grounds to seek asylum anywhere else. So just go chill in KL or something. Enjoy a sambal and be grateful! ...Welcome to ANDREW LOGIC.

:: 'ENGLISH' LESSON: 'Visceral" is pronounced with a hard 'C' sound. Vis-cuh-rel.

:: "Are we in Australia right now? I can't see one Australian person." Welcome to JODI LOGIC. So I guess she means that if you're not in boardies or something adorned with a Southern Cross, then you've basically revoked your citizenship. Hey Jodi, here's some simple math I'm sure even you can understand: You're in Australia + You're looking at people = You're seeing Australian people.

:: "I wonder how dire their situation actually is." Because apparently, being branded rebels and killed because of your religion isn't dire enough. #JodiLogic

:: "Ammar, I don't want to offend you here..." In Kim's world, this is what you say just before you offend someone. #KimLogic

"I've just made you cry, now please, take a tissue." #KimLogic

:: "I don't think his situation is as dire as someone else's situation." - #JodiLogic: Someone else has it worse than you? WOMP WOMP ACCESS DENIED.

:: "I reckon that's bullshit. I don't believe that people can be stateless, because everybody comes from somewhere, and will have relatives or a group of people...no one can be born somewhere and then end up absolutely nowhere." As you can tell, Kim has an absolutely OUTSTANDING grasp on international relations, particularly those of the Middle East. #KimLogic

:: 'ENGLISH' LESSON: Traitor /tray-tuh/ (noun): Someone who supports the right to seek asylum. #KimLogic

Nicole is judging you. HARD.

:: "While youse are worrying about the mental health conditions of the people in there, we have children who are self-harming and suiciding - AUSTRAYAN children in AUSTRAYA" - Because if you care about the health of asylum seekers, you clearly don't give a rats about mentally ill youth. #KimLogic

:: "These guys could riot tonight!" - Because if you treat asylum seekers with human compassion, they will obviously then rise up against you. "Those nice people waved at us! LET'S BURN THIS MOTHER DOWN." #KimLogic

:: "This is why I'm so against people smugglers" - Umm, other than the smugglers themselves, is anyone really FOR people smuggling??? We all acknowledge that it's horrific. But you can be anti-smuggling without being anti-asylum seeker.

And so we end on a preview of tonight's episode, which sees our participants experience what it's like to be "turned back." I've gotta be honest...I'm kind of holding out hope for a Kim Overboard situation.
On a final serious note: I hope people noticed how much it meant for Ammar and his family to have official documentation stating they finally have a place to call home. The issue doesn't get any more simple than that, and this truly was the most powerful moment of the whole episode for me. We all just want a place to call home.

Welcome to Australia Ammar!

Episode 2 of Go Back To Where You Came From airs tonight at 8:30 on SBS.