The men held captive on Manus Island have been rendered refugees twice over. Firstly, confronted with war, persecution and violence in their homeland, and then once more after showing faith in Australia’s humanity.

What many supporters and detractors alike have failed to conceptualise until now are the horrors that have been inflicted on these innocent people in our name. Even advocates have failed to comprehend that what we are collectively witnessing is not a hyper reality; this has and always will be stoked and manifested by us and us alone. We are and have always been capable of enacting such violence no matter how many times we try and fashion ourselves as a moral beacon. If we are not vigilant, we will continue to perpetuate this cycle, causing indescribable pain and suffering, while refusing to truly look at ourselves.