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‘Waiting in limbo’: Neil Para’s refugee walk speaking for those who can’t
Ballarat local Neil Para is on a mission.
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He is hiking 1000km to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate office in Sydney to deliver a petition asking for permanent visas for the thousands of refugees without one.
He travelled through Shepparton on Tuesday, August 8, with local refugees joining him as he walked across the Shepparton-Mooroopna causeway.
Later that day he met and spoke with a large crowd at the Afghan Mosque made up of refugees and allies who travelled from across the region and even some as far as Melbourne, promising to deliver the petition on behalf of others in similar circumstances.
Earlier this year, the Federal Government announced 19,000 people on temporary visas would be allowed to apply for permanent visas with a pathway to citizenship and family reunion for those who left their family overseas.
However, this only applied to refugees who came to the country before the start of the border protection operation in late 2013 and, on top of other heavy requirements, it has left thousands more ineligible to apply.
Mr Para and his family members are among them.
They have lived in Australia for 11 years after fleeing Sri Lanka for religious persecution.
For 11 years, they have been without a permanent visa, steady job or continuous Medicare.
In that time, they’ve survived off the generosity of community groups and friends.
In giving back, Mr Para, his wife Sugaa and three children are regular volunteers within the Ballarat community.
Following conversations with those he has met on his travels, Mr Para said it was clear the issue went beyond him and his family.
“A lot of people have come to me saying we thought the government would do something for us after the announcement, but they haven’t,” he said.
“It’s divided the people — some are getting visas, others aren’t.
“My daughter was born in Australia and was given citizenship when she turned 10 but she doesn’t feel Australian because her family is still stuck in limbo.”
Despite efforts they have been rejected for citizenship and they are not the only ones.
There are many within the community in similar positions.
Rajab Zihiri has lived in Australia for close to 12 years after fleeing Pakistan.
He came to Australia hoping to establish a safe home for his wife and children.
He hasn’t seen them for 12 years now.
Unable to leave Australia, Mr Zihiri is on a temporary visa and has been in a state of limbo since he arrived, constantly reapplying for a visa.
Depending on the visa available to them, some refugees are not entitled to basic assistance in Australia.
They cannot work or study, are unable to be on Medicare or receive Centrelink payments, and cannot bring their loved ones over.
In 2015, Mr Zihiri had to undergo back surgery.
He couldn’t claim any on Medicare, everything came out of his own pocket.
Since then, he’s had to deal with his pain and additional health conditions.
“I am a disabled man, I am on a lot of medication and I am using this all the time,” he said.
“I have depression. I am not happy and I am worried for my family because they are not in a good position in Pakistan.”
At age nine, Atena Kashani, her younger brother and two parents fled Iran coming to Australia on a bridging visa.
Ms Kashani is now 20 and is still on a bridging visa, even though Australia is the country she knows as home.
She attended school here, she worked hard and received a scholarship to study law at the Victorian University — Atena was on the pathway to a bright future.
But with one phone call, that was all taken away from her.
“I got a call from Immigration and Citizenship and they told me my visa had expired and I don’t have study rights under a bridging visa for over the age of 18,” she said.
“My mum had study rights, she did TAFE, diplomas, certificates so many things and he said that was all a mistake, ‘we’ve accidentally given you and your mum study rights’.”
They told Ms Kashani and her family that as soon as the situation changed over in Iran, they were going to be sent back.
“He said to me your only pathway is the pathway to departure, there is no way that you’re going to stay here,” she said.
“It’s been 10 years, not only have our morals and expectations changed but so has the country we once knew, it’s awful ... we can’t go back.”
Mohammad Hussaini came over to Australia in 2013 after fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
Mr Hussaini left everyone and everything he knew behind in the hopes of finding a better life in Australia.
In 2017, he became engaged to his girlfriend who lives in Pakistan.
It has been 10 years since he arrived, six years since he got engaged and he still finds himself on a temporary humanitarian visa.
“We can’t do anything to apply for our family to come here or we can’t visit them, even though I work here, I pay tax and I contribute to society,’’ he said.
“Afghanistan wasn’t and still isn’t safe, you can’t do anything over there — it’s a very bad situation.”
To help give a voice to people like Mohammad Hussaini, Atena Kashani, Rajab Zihiri and Neil Para, visit change.org/walkforfreedom and sign Mr Para’s petition asking for permanent residency for thousands of refugees.
Journalist