Perth Voice Interactive

THIS week’s Speakers’ Corner was co-authored by Hossein, a refugee who arrived to Australia in 2012 and who now works in IT; Niloofar, a refugee who also arrived in 2012 and who would love to live free and without fear; ophthalmologist Hessom Razavi who is from a refugee background; and Caroline Fleay, academic and Co-Director of the Centre of Human Rights Education at Curtin University.

LAST year many of us supported the return of the Nadesalingam family – the so-called “Biloela family” – to the small Queensland town of Biloela after learning they had been forcibly removed from a community that loves them. The Nadesalingams had previously been held in immigration detention and threatened with deportation back to Sri Lanka.

This family are among 31,000 other people who came to Australia by boat more than a decade ago, seeking asylum on our shores. They have all been living here for years and had to go through the unfair “Fast Track” refugee claim process. Introduced by the Coalition Government in 2014, this is a process designed to make it more difficult to be recognised as a refugee. The Nadesalingam family’s refugee claims were among some 10,000 applications that were refused.

But last year the Australian Government finally recognised that the family had become part of the Biloela community, where they had been working and volunteering for years, and they were given permanent visas. Australia has embraced this family.

Still, there are many others in our communities who are in exactly the same situation. They too need our embrace. This includes Hossein and Niloofar, two people living in the Perth community who came to Australia to seek asylum more than a decade ago.

The “Fast Track” process that Hossein and Niloofar went through was recognised by the Labor Party as unfair, and it committed to reviewing the process. Earlier this year the Australian Government took an important first step. They created a permanent visa pathway for 20,000 people who were recognised as a refugee under this process but had previously only been granted temporary protection. Once granted a permanent visa, these refugees can finally begin to settle here and apply to reunite with close family members who remain overseas.

But there other important steps that need to follow. The “Fast Track” process still remains, which means there is no meaningful pathway to permanency for 10,000 others who have been refused protection. Like Hossein and Niloofar, many are from Iran, while others fled countries such as Afghanistan and Sudan. The situation in all of these countries has become much worse. People cannot return to such violence.
It is wonderful that the Nadesalingam family have been granted permanent visas. This recognises that the family has been here for years and become part of the Biloela community, and were subjected to a deeply flawed protection claims process. So too were Hossein and Niloofar, and thousands of others. They too are part of our communities, and they too need a pathway to permanency.

Hossein’s story:
I have been in Australia for almost eleven years after my dad and I fled Iran to try to find a safe place to live. Ever since I got the right to work here, I have been employed and contributing to society. I am helping Australia to fill the skills shortage.

As a person who went through the “Fast Track” process, I can tell you how complicated and confusing it is. We had no legal representation to complete the 40 page protection claim form because the government would not provide us with a lawyer, and we could not afford to pay one as we were not allowed to work at that time. I was lucky my English was good enough to at least understand the questions but still the form was so confusing. The “Fast Track” process rejected many people, including my Dad and I, and there is no way to get an independent review of our claim.

We have been denied the chance to stay safe in Australia and we live with such uncertainty and fear in our lives. After more than a decade, the Australian Government must look again at our protection claims and make sure we all have a fair go.

Niloofar’s story:
In 2012 I fled persecution in Iran and I came to Australia by boat to find protection. As soon as I was allowed to work, I began working full time and I have been paying taxes ever since. I now also volunteer at my church and I recently got married to an Australian citizen. We plan to start a family together.

My application for a protection visa was refused by the former Australian Government, leaving me stranded on a series of 6-month bridging visas. A bridging visa allows me to work, but that really is it. Because of this visa I am unable to take on higher education which limits my job options, and I am unable to obtain finance. I am unable to leave Australia as I would be refused re-entry, which means I cannot travel to meet my family who are still in Iran. Some of them tried several times to get a tourist visa to visit me here but each time their application was rejected.

I feel like I am being punished for trying to save my life and now my situation also affects my husband. He is fully supportive of me and knowingly chose to marry me even though I only have a temporary visa. I cannot even apply for a partner visa. I am hopeful that the Australian Government can allow me to apply for a permanent visa so my husband and I can continue living our lives together in Perth.