December 12, 2022 — 11.32am

Kurdish Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani was anxious when he arrived at customs last week for his first ever visit to Australia, after spending six years of detention on Manus Island.

It wasn’t just former home affairs minister Peter Dutton’s 2019 declaration that the award-winning author of No Friend But the Mountains would never step foot in Australia after seeking asylum in New Zealand that made him edgy.

The 39-year-old former journalist, now resident of Wellington, New Zealand for the past three years, was also concerned how Australians would feel about him, after being a vocal critic of this country’s offshore detention system.

“I was anxious because I am sure I impacted Australia’s image in the rest of the world on refugee issues,” he said.

He need not have worried. From the moment he touched down the welcome has been nothing but warm.

“The guy who checked my passport at customs just said, ‘you look familiar mate’, and he laughed, checked my papers and let me in.

“I’ve been working with people here for years, and I am meeting some for the first time ... I feel relaxed now I am finally here,” he said.

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