Last week, a 27-year-old asylum-seeker – believed to be Mohammad Nasim Najafi – died in a Western Australian detention centre. Nasim Najafi came to Australia believing it was a country that helps people when they are in need. Today, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young reflects on how we failed him.
Would you stay in your house if your parents had been killed by men who lorded over your town or village?
Would you stay knowing that if the men came back and found you, you and the rest of your family would be next?
I wouldn’t. If it was my family I’d be out of there as fast as I could. With little money and no access to passports or travel visas, I’d have to cross the border, quietly. If I was caught, we’d all be dead.
Crossing the border, knowing I can’t return, all of a sudden I’ve become a refugee. My one goal is to find somewhere safe for my family, somewhere we can call home.
This is the experience of many people who have fled Afghanistan.
Mohammad’s family are Hazara, part of the persecuted minority in Afghanistan. We are told he was lucky to escape after his father was killed by the Taliban. Leaving his mother and the rest of his family in hiding, he hoped to find a safe place where they could start a new life.
Having no access to a visa to fly, he came to Australia by boat. He arrived at Christmas Island four years ago. Unaware of how harsh Australia’s laws are to those who arrived by boat, Mohammad had no idea that even if he arrived safely, spent years in detention and was recognised as a refugee, he would never be able to bring his family here to meet him.
Top Comments
When I arrived in Fremantle as a 16 year old, legal immigrant from Europe, I spent 6 months in the very same migrant camp at the top of the hill in Northam in 1950. I was very well looked after by the Menzies government. The facility looks hugely upgraded since than and I'm certain the support much improved that the illegal occupants receive. However, they are illegal and according to news reports, Mohammed Nair Najafi fled Afghanistan to escape a murder charge. It would be great if Sara Hanson Young would get her facts straight before grabbing the pen!
They are not illegal. They are as legal as you were.
also, you have spelt the man's name wrong and I cannot find any reference to him being accused of murder in Afghanistan, so some references would be nice.
While this is sad have you ever seen the refugees who are in the camps on the borders of many countries with conflicts or Governments who want to eradicate people they do not care for. I saw a program where a mother and her three children fled their town when all the men were executed (including her husband) she had been in a refugee camp for 4 years. She had no money to pay for an illegal boat to take her somewhere. She had walked many miles with her children to find refuge. These are the people I would like to see helped. The Government should be going into these camps where there is no food no shelter other than a tent and no medical help and bringing the refugees here. People who have the means to pay someone to bring them by boat should not be allowed to jump the queue because of their situation.
When will you people understand THERE IS NO QUEUE?
To quote Julian Burnside "The etiquette of the checkout at Coles is not how it works when you are running for your life."
See here's the thing THERE IS NO QUEUE.
And you playing God by judging who is more 'worthy' is so vulgar I can't even begin to express my disgust.
There is no queue.
Sorry everybody you are correct there is no queue. Bad choice of words however I am not trying to play God and Kate B why are you disgusted because I think people who are waiting in these refugee camps should be given the chance to also be resettled in safer places. Just because they are unable to finance a boat they should be left to live like they do. They are not more worthy they are worthy of a safe place to live. If we have 50000 (thats an example not a true figure) places for refugees then someone has to be left behind. its not playing God its being realistic.