Permanency for Refugees on Temporary Visas

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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