But it is hard to accept this as the only form of reparation. Through the gaze of those who have felt the legacy and trauma of colonialism, it feels like the barest minimum. Afterall, how, after decades of colonial violence and its bloody legacy, can a nation, community, or religious group feel like their trauma caused by imperial brutality and the effects of white supremacy has been fully appreciated and respected, simply because what was stolen has returned?

In reading about this bill for the first time, I remember a conversation my grandfather had with my mother, nearly ten years ago. We were in the same flat that my grandfather had moved into when he immigrated, it was where he made his life, raised his children and where his grandchildren could often be found, and it was in that place that he said to my mother:

“One day they’ll just kick us out.”

"The online world gave me the platform to watch all of this unfold and as I did, I realized the blatant bias and prejudice prevalent in the media coverage, the political response, and the treatment of refugee communities. It showed me that the western world had decided that there was a “right” kind of refugee, and it was one that looked like them."