Channel 4 commissions Go Back to Where You Came From social experiment series
The ambitious series aims to give people an insight into the asylum seeker experience.
Channel 4 has commissioned a UK version of provocative social experiment series Go Back to Where You Came From, which aims to give participants and viewers an insight into the brutal reality faced by asylum seekers.
The show will see six Brits with a variety of opinions on immigration and refugees sent to Mogadishu, Somalia and Raqqa, Syria, where they will experience first-hand the life-threatening danger that so many are currently fleeing.
Then, they will use real migrant routes through Africa, the Middle East and Europe on a journey to the UK, which the Channel 4 synopsis states will include "the terror of small boat crossings".
The programme aims to find out whether being exposed to life as an asylum seeker will change any opinions in the group or provoke any difficult conversations or reflection.
The synopsis concludes: "Tackling the issue head on, it will confront, educate, anger, shock and tug at the heartstrings of liberals, the right wing and everyone in-between."
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Go Back to Where You Came From (working title) originally ran for four seasons on Australian broadcaster SBS between 2011 and 2018 – with the poster pictured above – premiering as the country was gripped by debate over asylum seekers arriving in small boats.
A similar situation has been unfolding here in the UK recently, with the number of people crossing the Channel quadrupling in the past four years, making this a frequently raised topic during the recent general election campaign.
Anna Miralis and Madonna Benjamin, senior commissioning editors at Channel 4, said: "This is an extremely bold commission that continues to reinforce the Channel’s commitment to tackle difficult and highly relevant subject matter.
"It is hoped that this will offer up an opportunity for the British public to help understand some of the terrifying perils asylum seekers face when they attempt to travel to the UK.
"The adaptation of this multi-award-winning Australian format will be thoughtful and impactful and is likely to create an intense debate about an issue that Britain has grappled with for decades."
Executive producer Liam Humphreys added: "We are thrilled to be working with C4 on this audacious and ground-breaking idea which will provide a unique and compelling perspective on the plight and flight of asylum seekers.
"Go Back to Where You Came From (w/t) is a perfect illustration of how a controversial and thought-provoking format can, through a very human focus, challenge preconceptions and ignite the national debate."
The series does not yet have a release date. We'll bring you more news on the project as it comes in.
Go Back to Where You Came From is coming soon to Channel 4.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
