Australia has had a complicated history with Indian Ocean territories, with such territories becoming areas for quarantine and detainment of asylum seekers. 

Some detainees, as we learn through harrowing accounts in Reneé Pettitt-Schipp‘s new book The Archipelago of Us, are held in centers for years, where they are mistreated, underfed and distressed. 

RTRFM’s Danae Gibson chats with award-winning author Reneé Pettitt Schipp about the release, her experiences on Christmas Island and the injustice of mandatory detention. 

Pettitt-Schipp remains optimistic for a fairer future.

Produced By: Danae Gibson

Featured In Story: Reneé Pettitt Schipp, Award-winning author

First aired on The Wire, Monday 26 June 2023