There are approximately 700 “transitory” refugees living throughout Australia who do not have a pathway to permanency. They already suffered when they were sent to Nauru before being sent to Australia for medical reasons. They are people living in limbo and they need our support and advocacy, although many have been our neighbours for up 13 years.
Many refugees who waited for more than a decade on temporary visas, now have the security of a permanent visa. However, many people have partners, children or parents still in danger in home countries. There are still many uncertainties, and potentially profound disappointment and grief.
Australia’s policy of offshore detention has been one of the most controversial aspects of its immigration and asylum system over the past two decades. People who arrive by boat seeking asylum are sent to processing centres outside mainland Australia, rather than allowing them to have their claims assessed on Australian soil. This process is also called “externalization”.
A heartening story of support through the Circle of Friends in Adelaide, written by Adelaide writer and poet, Mij Tanith
In December 2012, Muzafar Ali and his wife Nagina escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan. They found themselves living in Indonesia when Australia ‘stopped the boats’. With a small group of refugees, they received a $200 donation and founded a two-room school.
Created by artist New York artist Phil Buehler, the Wall of Tears memorial installation honors the 18,457 Palestinian children killed since Oct. 7, 2023.