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The stories of family at the heart of refugee experiences

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An exhibition and book on how seeking asylum in Australia between 2001 and 2021 has impacted families.

 

In 2001, Australia navigated a dramatic turn in asylum seeker policy designed to stop people taking the treacherous journey to Australia by boat. From 1 September, asylum seekers who arrived by sea would be processed offshore, sometimes spending years in limbo waiting to be processed. People arriving by air were treated differently.  

 

In the next two decades, more than 30,000 asylum seekers arriving on our shores were impacted by this policy. 

 

These are their stories, the stories of their friends and family, and of the Australians who welcomed them.

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Lost Chances, New Beginnings is a collaboration born out of conversations with refugees and artists in Trentham, Victoria

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