I came to Australia by boat when I was 9 years old. Our family had to leave Iraq when their lives were put in danger by Saddam Hussein for political reasons, and we heard that this was the only immediate option for us to get away. At that time, we’d never heard of Australia, and had no idea how far away it was. But my parents sold all their assets in Iraq, and we made our way to Indonesia.
The next morning, we were taken down to the water at 2 am. It was pitch black . . .