Visas for Refugees
On 13 February the Minister of Immigration Andrew Giles announced that 19,000 people living on temporary protection visas ( TPVs ) would be able to gain permanent visas - to rebuild their lives in the Australian community .
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre ( ASRC ) welcomed the announcement as “ an incredible victory of unity and compassion over division and fear , made possible by the extraordinary leadership of refugees subjected to a decade of cruelty , supported by tens of thousands of people like you who have stood beside them over the past decade .”
Mohammad Daghagheleh , a paralegal at ASRC who has been on a TPV said : “ There is a sense of future , there is finally hope , I am finally Australian . Before I was scared I was not going to get my scholarship renewed , but now I can study law .”
Those of us who have gone to protest rallies , emailed or phoned politicians , made donations or done anything else in support of the ASRC ’ s campaign can be proud of their contributions towards bringing about this change – hopefully real change for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia .
But there still are 70,000 people seeking asylum and refugees who will not be affected by this announcement , whose rights continue to be denied , are separated from family , and have no safety net . The ASRC plans to continue advocating alongside all people seeking asylum . To do that , it needs continued support .
St Margaret ’ s News 2 March 2023