#1504 Portrait of a Policy

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Caitlin Doyle-Markwick meets 3 men who are living on some of the 29, 564 bridging visas issued since 2011, when the then Labor government announced that asylum seekers would increasingly be placed in the community while their claims were processed. Initially welcomed by refugee supporters because of the harmful psychological effects of long-term detention, Caitlin discovers that the uncertainty and restrictions placed upon them mean these men may live in the community, but cannot be part of it.

If you want to ease the transition for asylum seekers and refugees living in your community, there are plenty of organisations you can donate to and volunteer with. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, and Settlement Services International in Sydney are both good options.

Producers: Caitlin Doyle-Markwick and Domenique Sherab

Features Executive Producers: Jess O’Callaghan and Heidi Pett

Presenters: Pip Rasmussen and Michael Brydon

Music credit: Mammals – Move Slower and Touch Sensitive – Pizza Guy

Image credit: Siobhan Marren