Drawn from three years of interviews, The People Smuggler recounts the life of Ali Al Jenabi, one of the first men to be tried in Australia for people smuggling offences. The book puts a human face on those involved in the boat voyages, revealing a harrowing picture of a man who, by turning to people smugglers, sought to escape severe repression in Iraq and seek safety for his mother and six younger brothers and sisters, only to become a ‘people smuggler’ himself. The book exposes many anti-refugee myths common in Australia and points to the actions of governments, police and intelligence agencies in encouraging anti-refugee sentiment.
Media award