On October 30, Rumi Forum held a discussion of the Netflix show ‘Stateless’. ‘Stateless’, released on Netflix this summer, is a six-episode series based on a true story of an Australian citizen who was held in one of Australia’s immigrant detention centers.

It follows the stories of several characters as they come into contact with Australia’s immigration system, including migrants who have fled violence and persecution in their home countries, employees of the center and Australia’s immigration agency, and advocates for immigrant rights. The experiences of the characters and their intertwining journeys are rife with lessons and opportunities for empathic consideration.

We gathered via Zoom for a 75 min conversation about the content and salient themes of the show, and our takeaways from viewing it. Our discussion was centered on the ethical dilemmas faced by the different characters in their varying positions. This event was not intended to be a debate about immigration policy.