In remembering Tampa and its consequences, both the banished asylum seeker and Christmas Islanders are again on the margins of society and are subject to the whims of government.

The arrival of two boatloads of asylum seekers is the first test of Labor’s new detention policy, writes Michelle Dimasi on Christmas Island on our partner website, Inside Story.

It's difficult to imagine what the $400 million detention centre will be used for, writes Michelle Dimasi.