“Villawood” Blog Post

At the end of the comic strip, I thought that the lady’s reaction to the refugee finally getting his freedom was insensitive. It’s also a slap in the face considering what the refugees taken to the camp had to endure, and the social deprivation the camp had placed them in without compassion. Its terrible to see that the state of immigrant detentions centers in other countries besides the U.S. also make immigrants feel dehumanized, especially in a country I didn’t think had such an outlook on immigration to have these centers be more resemblant to prisons. But I think Ahmed did an effective job in conveying that through these comics. As someone who didn’t know much, it made me more aware of treatment of refugees in Australia. And the illustration is fairly recent too. Overall, it did well as an outlet for education while trying to do so in a rather untraditional way.

1 thought on ““Villawood” Blog Post

  1. Daniel Rosenthal

    I also found the ending powerfully shocking. All of the characters in the story had to deal with unimaginable hardships, with many only able to withstand the mental torture only with the hope at the end of the tunnel, with the understanding that this treatment was because they were illegal. Thus, when Haider Ali hears those words from his case manager when he finally learns that he will be released, it’s a reflection moment where he has to think if he will really be treated differently.

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