Cancelled & Removed

Cancelled & Removed explores the ways in which immigration laws and processes impact family narratives and histories. This project revolves around the personal experiences of five families, those of which have either been deported or threatened with deportation from Queensland. For many of those who are sent back to their birthplace, with little to no support system, the environments are unsafe or completely alien. The human experience behind the social and legal implications of deportation and the effects of being temporary and the invisibility of these lived experiences are important for us to reflect upon and be challenged by.

In 1986, three generations of Tammy’s family were deported from Queensland. Her mother. who was pregnant with Tammy at the time, was left behind to pick up the pieces. Since becoming a mother herself, Tammy has begun to reflect on the ways that trauma can be intergenerational, how it can reside in your DNA and be passed down.

Over the last decade the composition of those who are being deported has changed and is constantly shifting, from irregular maritime arrivals through to the current cohort of refugees on temporary protection visas and permanent residents who have lived in Australia the majority of their lives. Cancelled & Removed aims to instigate conversations and encourage deeper understanding around how forced migration is experienced by not only the individual, but also their families and the community that surrounds them.