One of the many 'othered' groups within current Australian society consists of refugees and asylum seekers, especially those who come by boat. Allen, 2005, writes that refugees are often scapegoated, accused of stealing the jobs of citizens who were born in the country where others are attempting to seek refuge. Likewise, the human stories of these individuals are often untold in an attempt to dehumanise, with the words 'illeagal' and 'bogus refugees' used to bring negative connotations to all refugees and asylum seekers, not only thoses who come to Australia though illeagal channels.
An expamle of the Australian government attemping to dehumanise refugees is the Children Overboard case which occured in 2002. The website safecom.org.au shows immages of individual children, adults and families swimming from a sinking overcrowed boat, as well as mothers and fathers recovering with their children during the aftermath of their experience. The writer states that the photographer was "given commands not to humanise the asylum seekers".
References
Allen, S 2005, 'Racialised othering' Journalism: Critical Issues
'The Unthown Kids' safecom.org.au/kids-overboard
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