Permanency for Refugees on Temporary Visas

There are about 31,000 people in Australia who have been placed on temporary visas that have denied them the ability to reunite with their families still overseas. Approximately 20,000 of those people have been recognised as refugees, while the remainder are still awaiting a resolution to their claim.

They have all been in Australia for close to a decade and are still anxiously awaiting a permanent visa.

Refugees on temporary visas are living in a constant state of limbo. They work hard and pay taxes, but employers are hesitant to offer long-term positions, banks will not give loans ...

There are about 31,000 people in Australia who have been placed on temporary visas that have denied them the ability to reunite with their families still overseas. Approximately 20,000 of those people have been recognised as refugees, while the remainder are still awaiting a resolution to their claim.

They have all been in Australia for close to a decade and are still anxiously awaiting a permanent visa.

Refugees on temporary visas are living in a constant state of limbo. They work hard and pay taxes, but employers are hesitant to offer long-term positions, banks will not give loans, and most painfully, they are unable to bring their family to live with them. Some people have not seen their children in almost a decade. When family members are still living in places like Afghanistan, there is enormous anxiety about their wellbeing.

Australia's temporary protection system is unnecessary, cruel, expensive and impractical.

The new Federal Labor Government promised to end these temporary visas but people remain caught in a state of perpetual limbo as they await an announcement.

Permanency will allow many who have lived and worked in Australia for a decade to finally be able to settle here, to reunite with family members and contribute fully to Australian society. There is research to show that granting permanency also delivers long-term economic returns by enabling people to upgrade their skills, sustain and grow their own businesses, and employ other workers.

Mostly importantly, permanent visas allow families to be together. It is so important that this matter is urgently prioritised because we all need our families.

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Email your local MP

People have been waiting ten years for a proper visa.

Ten long years separated from family.

The new Federal Government promised to address this by providing permanent visas but we need to make sure they follow through as a matter of priority!

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Subject:

I am concerned for the welfare of refugees on temporary visas in my community.

The Federal Labor Party (ALP) committed to granting permanency to refugees on temporary visas during its election campaign. Now that the ALP is in Government, refugees and their families are growing increasingly anxious as each day passes without an announcement about their visa status being made.

Many refugees have been separated from their families for nearly ten years due to the restrictions on temporary visa holders. When your children remain stuck in a place like Afghanistan, the stress for their wellbeing can become overwhelming.

Please can you ask the Minister for Immigration, Hon. Andrew Giles and the Minister for Home Affairs, Hon Clare O'Neil to grant permanency to refugees as a matter of priority.

Refugees on temporary visas work hard, pay their taxes and want to invest further into the Australian community and economy but are prevented from doing so due to their visa status. They want to reunite with their loved ones and contribute to Australia but are powerless to do so.

There are even some people who are still waiting for a resolution to their claim for protection after ten years. Stuck in such a prolonged and an unfair assessment process they deserve the opportunity to access a permanent visa – they have suffered enough!

The Federal Government has the power to grant permanency and allow families to be together. After ten years of separation and anxiety, this needs to be an urgent priority.

I ask that you write to the Ministers asking them to fulfil their election commitments, so that refugees and people seeking asylum can know as soon as possible, whether they will be able to reunite with their families.

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