Voyages of the damned

Politicians in Australia opportunistically portray the tragedy of deaths at sea as necessitating 'stopping the boats'. Under the guise of compassion, drownings are perceived as a 'crisis' and followed by policies that aim to deter asylum seekers and their agents. The vast majority of asylum seeker boats and passengers arrive safely in Australia but government and media misinformation provides justification for infliction of cruelty. This is most evident in the reopening of offshore detention facilities. The article analyses critical events in Australia's approach to asylum seekers that explain the discursive and policy trajectory.