Refugee author Behrouz Boochani is free in New Zealand

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The Kurdish Iranian asylum seeker who was detained by Australia in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, for the last six years arrived in New Zealand on Thursday. The award-winning writer documented his life in Australia’s offshore detention system in the 2018 book No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison.

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Who is Boochani?

 

- Boochani arrived in Australia in July 2013 but the country's then-prime minister vowed no asylum seeker arriving by boat would ever be resettled in Australia, even if found to be genuine refugees

- The journalist was sent to Papua New Guniea’s Manus Island in 2013

- He had hoped to claim asylum but fell foul of its strict refugee policy

- Unable to leave, he became one of Manus Island's most well-known voices, publishing his award-winning book — BBC News