ABOUT THIS PROJECT

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Pacific Solution looks at the daily lives of a number of young Afghan refugees who New Zealand gave sanctuary after the ship they were aboard became mired in controversy. Along with hundreds of others, mostly Afghans and Iraqis, the boys faced certain drowning when the leaky “people-smuggling” boat they were on began to sink. 

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The refugees were rescued by the heroic Arne Rinna, Captain of the Norwegian cargo ship, the MV Tampa. Australia, under PM John Howard, refused to let the Tampa to land so that the refugees could have their cases for asylum heard. New Zealand agreed to take the “unaccompanied minors”, teenage boys – they were housed, educated, given residency and were allowed to bring their families to settle. Pacific Solution follows their story and through the prism of their experience, examines the refugee crisis that is facing the world.