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Go Back to Where You Came From

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Go Back to Where You Came From
Company typeTelevision series
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
Founded2011
FounderCordell Jigsaw Productions
Headquarters
Sydney
,
Australia
Area served
Australia
ProductsDocumentary television series
OwnerSpecial Broadcasting Service (SBS)
ParentCordell Jigsaw Productions
Websitewww.sbs.com.au/programs/go-back-to-where-you-came-from

Go Back to Where You Came From is an Australian documentary television series created by Cordell Jigsaw Productions and broadcast on SBS during the years 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2018.

The program tracks two groups of six Australians, each holding diverse opinions on the nation's asylum seeker discourse, as they follow the pathways refugees undertake to arrive in Australia.

Season 1

The initial group of six—Gleny Rae, Adam Hartup, Raquel Moore, Darren Hassan, Raye Colbey, and Roderick Schneider—were deprived of their wallets, mobile phones, and passports. They embarked on a fragile refugee vessel (which was rescued in open waters), underwent immigration raids in Malaysia, resided at Kakuma Refugee Camp located in north-west Kenya, explored impoverished areas in Jordan, and traveled through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq, safeguarded by UN Peacekeepers and the US military. The season concluded with a reflective discussion on the participants' reactions to these experiences.

Season 2 – Celebrity Go Back

The 2012 installment showcased celebrities such as Peter Reith, Angry Anderson, Allan Asher, Catherine Deveny, Mike Smith, and Imogen Bailey. They boarded an unstable boat headed toward Christmas Island.

Across three episodes, the group encountered life-threatening situations in locations including war-damaged Mogadishu, unrest-ridden Kabul, and the frigid mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Their journey also encompassed a visit to the Christmas Island Detention Centre.

Season 3

In 2015, the series featured six individuals: Davy (a former refugee), Kim (advocate for the Stop the Boats movement), Nicole Judge (a whistleblower from detention centres), sisters Jodi and Renee who held contrasting perspectives, and Andrew, a forthright schoolteacher.

Season 4 – Go Back to Where You Came From Live

Broadcast over three episodes from 2–4 October 2018, this season incorporated live coverage as events transpired. Presented by Ray Martin and Janice Petersen, participants included Jacqui Lambie, Marina (a Sydney-based lawyer and former refugee from Sarajevo), Steve (an ex-prison officer), Gretel Killeen, Peter Everitt, and Meshel Laurie.

Reception

Upon its debut, the series quickly became the top trending subject on Twitter globally. Go Back To Where You Came From delivered SBS's highest audience numbers in 2011, attracting approximately 524,000 metropolitan viewers for its first episode, which grew to 600,000 by the third episode.

Following the broadcast, SBS organized a televised forum aimed at fostering public discussion on asylum seeker issues. In 2019, TV Week placed the show at number 94 among the 101 greatest Australian television programs, noting its significant influence during asylum seeker debates and its worldwide Twitter trending achievement.

Season 1

Episode 1

  • Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia – refugee resettlement
  • Albury, New South Wales, Australia – refugee resettlement
  • Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, New South Wales, Australia
  • Timor Sea boat crossing

Episode 2

  • Immigration accommodation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Immigration raid at a construction site in Malaysia

Episode 3

  • Kakuma Refugee Camp in north-west Kenya
  • Urban slums in Jordan
  • Conflict zones in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq

Season 2

Episode 1

  • Melbourne, Victoria – refugee settlement efforts
  • Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Mogadishu, Somalia

Episode 2

  • Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Mogadishu, Somalia
  • Dollo Addo refugee camp, Ethiopia (operated by UNHCR)

Episode 3

  • Bogor, Indonesia – engaging with Hazara refugees
  • Rote Island, Indonesia – encounters with human traffickers
  • Sea voyage to Christmas Island
  • Immigration Reception and Processing Centre on Christmas Island

Season 3

Episode 1

  • Bankstown and Lakemba, New South Wales – refugee settlement programs
  • Wickham Point Immigration Detention Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory
  • Jakarta, Indonesia — 'Boat turn back' operation

Episode 2

  • Makassar, Indonesia – residing among refugees

Season 1

Episode 1

  • Refugee camp in South Sudan

Episode 2

  • Turkey
  • Syria

Ratings

  • Episode 1 – 524,000 viewers (ranked 23rd for the evening)
  • Episode 2 – 569,000 viewers (ranked 24th for the evening)
  • Episode 3 – 600,000 viewers (ranked 19th for the evening)

International remakes

The show's format has been licensed and adapted in various countries including:

  • Belgium (Vier) titled Terug naar eigen land
  • Denmark (TV2 Denmark) as Send Dem Hjem
  • Germany (Studio Hamburg DocLights) under the name Auf der Flucht: Das Experiment
  • The Netherlands (Tuvalu Media) called Rot Op Naar Je Eigen Land
  • Sweden (Snowman Productions)
  • South Africa (Curious Pictures)
  • Israel (Keshet Broadcasting)
  • United Kingdom (Channel 4)
  • United States (BBC America)

See also

External links

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