Shafiq ur-Rehman is one of hundreds of refugees staging a sit-in protest outside the Sydney constituency office of new Immigration Minister Tony Burke.
“I pay my taxes on time, I am not involved in any criminal activities. I request the Australian government to grant us permanent visas,” he told SBS Urdu.
Rehman, a member of the moderate Muslim community, said he was forced to flee extremists who imposed their interpretation of extreme Islam on his hometown of Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It had been 11 years since he last saw his wife and two of his three daughters, he said.
He said his application for permanent residency in 2021 was rejected by the Immigration Department.
He said the reason given for the rejection — that the situation in his hometown was no longer dangerous — was untrue. Rehman lives in Australia on a bridging visa that does not allow him to work.
“My life was in danger in Northern Pakistan, so I came to Australia in 2013. When my (third) daughter was born, I was in a detention centre and I still haven’t seen her,” he said.
Arad Nik, an Iranian refugee, was one of the organizers of the sit-in protest that began on August 6.
He told SBS Urdu that the protesters were demanding a “fair decision” from the government regarding residency as nearly 10,000 refugees are currently living in uncertainty.
Asylum seekers have staged a sit-in protest outside the office of the Minister of Immigration. Credit: Delivered
According to the As of June 31, 2024, nearly 40,000 people who arrived by boat had been granted a Bridging Visa E.
Of these, 9,892 remained in the community, while the rest had obtained valid visas, left Australia, were detained or had died.
As of 31 June 2024, of the 37,934 people who arrived by boat on Bridging Visa E, 9,892 remain in the community. Others have been granted visas, departed Australia, are in detention or have died.
Most of this group had been in this situation for more than 10 years and could not return to their home country or live here with any sense of security, Nik said.
Rehman said his request for a permanent visa had been repeatedly rejected despite numerous letters he had sent to authorities and the fact that he had appealed his case.
“I tried to build a new life here, but it is very difficult without a work permit,” he said.
“If I get permanent residency, my family can join me in Australia where we can live in peace.
“The local Taliban destroyed the girls’ school in my hometown, leaving my daughters without an education.”
On February 13, 2023, the Albanian government announced that it would abolish the temporary protection policy.
This decision allowed people with a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) to apply for a permanent Resolution of Status (RoS) visa.
Existing applications for renewal of expired TPVs or SHEVs will be automatically converted to RoS visa applications.
Those still awaiting a decision will receive a RoS visa once their need for refugee protection has been assessed.
Another protester, Kalyani, said she represented Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.
“Having fled the increasingly deteriorating conditions in their home countries, many of them are now looking to permanent residency as a new hope,” she said.
The Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024 proposes changes to the Migration Act 1958 to allow the Secretary of State to issue removal orders, impose penalties and reverse protection orders.
The protesters are demanding certainty about their own future and that of their children, as well as clear rights to work, study, family reunification and health care, with guarantees against arbitrary deportation.
In May, former Immigration Minister Andrew Giles defended the bill, arguing it was needed to close a “loophole” made more apparent by a recent High Court ruling.
has published a statement on its website criticizing the fast-track visa system.
It shows that ten years later, thousands of men, women and children are still afraid of being taken away from the places where they have lived for years.
In a statement issued to A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Government has taken steps to reform the assessment procedures for migration and protection visas by abolishing both the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA) and the fast-track assessment process.”
The spokesperson said that a new Administrative Assessment Board (ART) will start on October 14, 2024.
The Refugee Council has called on the government to grant permanent residency to the men, women and children failed by this “flawed” system, so they can truly rebuild their lives as part of the community.
Refugee organisations are calling for urgent protection to address the widespread mental health and homelessness issues that arise from the lack of a safety net and security as refugees wait for their protection claims to be heard. Credit: Combined Refugee Action Group
Until the new ART comes into effect, the IAA will continue to function. Any decision that is reviewed by the IAA, or that would otherwise have been submitted to the IAA for review, will be transferred to the court as a reviewable protection decision at the outset.
The spokesperson added that those who do not meet Australia’s protection obligations are not expected to face a substantive assessment or judicial review and, having exhausted all options to remain in Australia, are expected to leave Australia voluntarily and may be provided with assistance to leave.
Rehman said he was doing everything he could to be reunited with his family.
“My daughters are growing up and I miss the important moments in their lives. I am a father and I want to fulfill my responsibilities,” he said.
DEKYAS NEWS World Breaking News and Trusted Source
