Some wonderful news about Arif

Friday, May 26 2023

Twelve months ago, I wrote to you about thousands of people stuck in an endless cycle of uncertainty on temporary protection. People like Arif – a 32-year-old Shia Hazara man from Afghanistan who arrived in Australia by boat 11 years ago. He was forced to leave his family behind, having fled in fear for his life after years of brutal abuse at the hands of the Taliban.

I’m writing now with an update – and some wonderful news.

Arif* first applied for protection in 2012. In March 2022 – after a decade-long fight for justice involving multiple legal battles – with our legal help, he was finally granted a three-year temporary protection visa. But he was barred from sponsoring his wife, Farida, and children to join him in Australia.

I’m now delighted to let you know that on the back of the Federal Government’s reform announced in February this year, we helped Arif apply for a permanent visa, which he has now been granted.

This means Arif will no longer need to re-apply for protection every three years – for the rest of his life.

And most importantly of all, Arif now has ‘a pathway to hope’ – hope and a new home to reunite with Farida and his children again after more than a decade of anguish.

With this transformative change – driven by our mighty collective efforts – many people we’ve helped are now being granted permanency.

But with this comes the next critical question: “When can I reunite with my loved ones here?”

Family reunion is fundamental for people to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

And that is why we’re scaling up our Refugee Legal Family Reunion Clinic to meet this critical and emerging need to assist people like Arif to rebuild their lives with family here.

Sincerely,

David Manne
Refugee Legal
Executive Director & Principal Solicitor

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