Wednesday 29 April 2026
After the realities of their life in limbo were exposed on A Current Affair tonight, young refugees who have grown up in Australia are speaking out, saying this is the only home they know, and calling on the Albanese Government to grant them and the 700 others in their situation permanent visas so they can finally move forward with their lives.
They have been recognised as refugees, went to school here, built their friendships here and are part of our communities. They are working, contributing and have rebuilt their lives despite all the harm that was done with them. But, they remain stuck in an endless cycle of short term visas, living with ongoing uncertainty and unable to move on from the impacts of offshore detention.
Around 700 people remain in Australia after being sent to offshore detention in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and later brought here for urgent medical treatment. Many arrived as children and have spent the majority of their lives in Australia, yet they are still living on insecure, short-term visas or in community detention with no pathway to permanency.
Because of a policy decision taken in 2013 saying they will never be settled in Australia, this group of people are still considered ‘transitory’ and have no pathway to permanency despite living in our community for many years.
Ferdos and Wasim were sent to Nauru as 10 year olds. They have both lived in Australia for the past 8 years after being brought to Australia for urgent medical treatment in 2018. Ferdos works as an employment caseworker, supporting others to find work. She is contributing every day to the community around her and wants to do even more. She dreams of becoming a human rights lawyer, but her short term visa means she is unable to pursue further study or plan for the future. Wasim works in retail management, and dreams of starting his own business. They both just need stability, safety, and the ability to start their lives in the place they call home. They want to continue contributing and know they can stay for good.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), together with Ferdos and Wasim are calling on the Albanese Government to grant permanency to all people brought to Australia from offshore detention, and to finally bring an end to years of uncertainty and harm.
Jana Favero, Deputy CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said:
“Ailin, Ferdos and Wasim are part of Australia in every meaningful sense. The only thing missing is the decision to grant them permanency, and that decision sits with Minister Tony Burke.”
“This is a straightforward fix. The community expects people to be treated with fairness and compassion fairly, non senseless cruelty. The Minister has the power to grant permanent visas to people who have already rebuilt their lives here. It would immediately end years of uncertainty and allow them to move forward.”
‘’Ten years after hundreds of thousands Australians mobilised to stop children being sent back to offshore detention, those same children are now young adults who are part of Australia in every way except on paper, and are still waiting for permanency.’’
“After all the harm and suffering that successive governments have inflicted on people who arrived on our shores seeking safety and protection over 12 years ago, the solution is clear. The Albanese Government must let them stay for good.”
Ferdos, young person previously detained on Nauru said:
“This situation can be changed. With one fair decision, one act of accountability, lives can be put back on track.”
“We are calling for a system that is transparent, humane, and consistent that reflects the values it claims to uphold.”
“Decision makers have the power to correct this. What we need now is fairness. Behind every application is a human story. It only takes one decision to change that story for the better.”
“Permanent residency is not just a status, it is safety, stability, and the ability to plan a future. Denying that without clear justification leaves our lives in limbo. After years of building a life here, being denied permanency is not just a setback, it is a disruption to everything I have worked towards.”
“This policy places my future on hold, despite my proven commitment to contributing meaningfully to this country.”
Wasim, young person previously detained on Nauru:
“Permanency could really change my life, I would be able to open a business, live my life like any other person and not feel left out. I could see my mother after 13 years, I could find a woman that I love without being hesitant just because I don’t have a visa and they’ll think I could be sent away anytime. I’m already 24 and I should be starting my life, building my dreams and my future and settling down.”
“As a kid my dream was to be a soccer player or a big business owner, but now all I can think of is getting safety, stability and permanency. That’s my only dream – I don’t dare to think about anything else anymore, because anything that I can think of involves a piece of paper that I still don’t have after more than a decade.”
For media enquiries or interviews contact:
Natasha Blucher on 0412 034 821 or media@asrc.org.au
