Long before politicians called to ‘stop the boats’, First Nations people welcomed arrivals from Indonesia

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Long before politicians called to ‘stop the boats’, First Nations people welcomed arrivals from Indonesia

Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders to unauthorised maritime arrivals”. It’s a proven line of attack from the Coalition, who claimed to have “stopped the boats” – almost all of which originate from Indonesia – during their tenure. The trope of a northern coastline i…