Go Back to Where You Came From

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Go Back to Where You Came From is an Australian documentary series that aired on SBS. Over four seasons (2011–2018) and a total of 13 episodes, the show put two groups of Australians with different views on asylum seekers on a reverse journey to the one many refugees take to reach Australia. The participants faced real dangers and tough experiences around the world and then reflected on what they learned.

Season 1 (2011)
- Participants: Gleny Rae, Adam Hartup, Raquel Moore, Darren Hassan, Raye Colbey, Roderick Schneider
- They board a leaky refugee boat, are rescued mid-ocean, and experience immigration raids in Malaysia. They live at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and visit slums in Jordan, then travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq with UN Peacekeepers and the US military. The series ends with a debrief.

Season 2 (2012)
- Celebrity participants: Peter Reith, Angry Anderson, Allan Asher, Catherine Deveny, Mike Smith, Imogen Bailey
- They are placed on a fragile boat bound for Christmas Island, face danger on the streets of Mogadishu and Kabul, and visit the Christmas Island Detention Centre.

Season 3 (2015)
- Participants: Davy (a former refugee), Kim (Stop the Boats campaigner), Nicole Judge (detention centre whistle blower), Jodi and Renee (sisters with opposing views), Andrew (a tough-talking teacher)

Season 4 (2018)
- Three episodes aired in October with live updates, hosted from a studio by Ray Martin and Janice Petersen
- Participants: Jacqui Lambie, Marina (a refugee from Sarajevo), Steve (former prison guard), Gretel Killeen, Peter Everitt, Meshel Laurie

Reception and impact
- The premiere date trended worldwide on Twitter. It was SBS’s highest-rating program in 2011, drawing about 524,000 viewers for the first episode, 569,000 for the second, and 600,000 for the third.
- SBS held a forum to discuss asylum-seeker debates following the show.
- In 2019, TV Week ranked Go Back to Where You Came From No. 94 in its list of the 101 greatest Australian television shows, noting its powerful, immersive approach and its global Twitter impact.
- The show also inspired international versions of the format.

Production and release
- Directed by Ivan O’Mahoney; presented by Dr David Corlett; narrated by Colin Friels
- Theme music by Hans Baker; other music by Gordon Wittoch
- Produced by Cordell Jigsaw Productions
- Network: SBS
- Original run: 21 June 2011 to 4 October 2018