Boy Overboard, still relevant 10 years later
Authorities have intercepted two boats with more than 200 asylum seekers on their way to Christmas Island this week. Australia has long had a bumpy approach to accepting refugees.
Looking back over 2011, refugees and boat people have featured prominently in the media and political debates. Boy Overboard was a novel written 10 years ago about two Afghan refugee children trying to get to Australia, and the themes are just as relevant today. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen plans to propose that Australia increase resettlement of refugees from 13,750 to 20,000 at the Labor Party’s national conference this weekend. A move the opposition says is a ploy to garner support for the failed Malaysia people swap deal.