On the 26 August 2001, the Norwegian vessel the MV Tampa rescued 433 people seeking asylum who were stranded at sea. Most of those rescued were Hazaras fleeing from the Taliban in Afghanistan.

What followed was a defining moment for our national character. Australian SAS forces boarded the Tampa and most of those onboard were subsequently detained on Nauru. The incident became a pivotal episode in the 2001 Federal Election.

Two decades later we continue to see the politicisation, and criminalisation, of refugees and people seeking asylum.