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Australian Story: Seeking Hope
What is it to be Australian? Is it more than just mateship and meat pies, going to the footy and downing a few cold ones with your mates? If your friend called you heart broken and crying, his Mrs had just kicked him out of the house, she dumped his clothes on the front yard, changed the locks and broke his TV. Would you be a good mate and give up your couch for the night?
Imagine for a second you’re on that same couch watching the Sunday night footy with your mates and having a laugh when suddenly you hear a bang on your window. You rush to see who’s at the door and it’s your neighbour. He screams ‘Planes are coming!! get your wife and your family out of here we need to get out, now!’
Turn back the clock about 30 years and you’re now in Afghanistan and it’s not your neighbour at your door, it’s the Taliban. Your comfy Sunday night foot couch, is a mud house your dad built with barley any electricity.
This is an Australian story, this is a Refugee story.
I find myself wondering what I would do if I was Prime Minister of Australia. What would I say to the thousands of Asylum seekers looking for refuge in the wondrous lands down under?
Each year over ten thousand refugees flea their homes, seeking refuge to Australia. In light of World refugee week I embark on a journey to tell an Australian story, to tell the stories of the refugees, the ones you’ve probably not heard.
During World refugee week I attend ‘The Festival of Hope’ An Amnesty International run event designed to highlight the positive contributions refugees and asylum seekers bring to Australia. Amnesty sees the government’s current approach towards asylum seekers to be ‘inhumane’ and ‘ineffective’
Campaigner co-coordinator and Amnesty International spokesperson Graem Mcgregor says that we’ve reached a global epidemic refugee crisis and the government is ‘turning their backs ‘on the situation.
‘’The government think this is what Australians want, you see events like this you talk to a lot of people and people have their concerns about immigrations. But when it comes down to it I don’t think anybody wants to see refugees, particularly children abused in offshore detention centres, nobody wants that but that is what’s happening ‘’ He said
Mr Mcgregor says that it’s important for Australians to speak to their local ministers and speak to their senators and really make it clear that they’re against the current government policy for asylum seekers.
Amnesty International says that there are myths and misconceptions about asylum seekers and refugees that need to be corrected.
‘’Because of these myths they believe the policies in place have not been working’’ Said Mr McGregor
‘’Asylum seekers are not illegal and it’s a human right to seek refuge whether it’s by boat or not, this is inhuman treatment’ He said.
Asylum seekers make up less than three percent of Australia’s annual immigration and the majority of asylum seekers that come to Australia by boat are genuinely fleeing persecution, torture and violence according to Amnesty International.
I wanted a statement from the department of Immigration about their position on this ‘global epidemic’ of misplaced refugees and their views on detention centres, but there wasn’t a response.
The festival of Hope displayed many of the talents and cultural arts and crafts of refugees, with ‘hope’ for a new future being the overall theme for the event.
Hope, Another common theme in my journey trying to understand Australian refugees.
Meet Mohamed Ali Baqir. He describes Australia as the land of ‘Hope’
I met with Mohamed Ali Baqir, a 24 year old Law and Business student who is also a refugee. Mohammed, a rare character and unlikely sport enthusiast was well groomed, confident and very well spoken. He met with me to tell me his story.
Mohammed
Samaa
Samaa Casey is a 24-year-old nuclear medicine student and Iraqi refugee.
Like Mohamed she migrated to Australia running from war and persecution. Both their countries have seen the face of war and left an imprint on their minds.
‘’I came in 2011 from Syria and Australia’s tittle to many Arabs, call it the lucky country due to the wonderful atmosphere, beautiful beaches , the wealth of the country’’ She Said.
The daughter of a single mother and one of three siblings, Samaa never liked the idea of leaving her country.
‘’Before I migrate to this country I thought I am going to go to a big prison that gives me freedom but no love’’
Samaa feared from discrimination before coming to Australia but soon realised she had no choice but to flee.
‘’I grow up in the war life when we can’t even go to school by ourselves, we were not allowed to go shops or parks because my mom wanted to protect us as much as she can’’
‘’ I was surrounded by death, everybody I love been killed either by an American army or by terrorist and 2011 is a memorial year for me when my life started at the beginning I was missing my friends and life in Iraq so badly, but I found the most important thing that matters to human life which is safety’’
‘’Australia means home to me the place where I find freedom, safety and respect, for the people who come to Australia by boat while it is very dangerous they must be living a horrible life so they don’t care about what will happen to them either they dire or they born again, I mean by that they think their life will start when they arrive to Australia which is not fair at all but when you have no hope, death will be the first choice;
The family received threats because Samaa’s mother was an honest banker, which was something she described as being ‘rare in the eyes of the terrorists’. There was need to flea. Their security was no longer promised; so they made their way to Australia.
‘’ I feel safe that I can sleep without thinking and worrying about myself or my family, Australia means home to me the place where I find freedom, safety and respect for the people who come to Australia by boat while it is very dangerous, they must be living a horrible life so they don’t care about what will happen to them either they die or they (born again) I mean by that they think that their life will start when they arrive to Australia which it is not fair at all but why else would they come here unless there was no option’’ She said.
From Iraq, Afghanistan to places like as Africa and Burma, seeking refuge isn’t always a choice.
I came into this, looking to find out why we as Australian’s are so hesitant to let the boat people come in to Australian waters. I tried to understand why we find it so hard to just let those who seek refuge come to our borders. I even tried to find those who would speak on camera about their anti-asylum seeker views but found myself very surprised when I had no luck.
It is safe to say that while writing this, I’ve gotten an insight to refugees that I never thought I’d have. I’ve found that Asylum seekers and refugees are different but also the same. In fact I’ve found that they’re not so different from us at all. Australia has one of the most diverse cultural societies in the world. With thousands of migrants from all over, we all share this beautiful land.
The Australia way is to ‘have a go’ so why don’t we? Why don’t we have a go at giving these people new hope.
Australia, the –new- land of the ‘free’.
Refugee Week 2015
Footage taken from inside the train Collision by Zena Chamas
TRUCK AND TRAIN COLLISION
Hundreds of passengers were escorted off the train as a truck collided with a moving Pakenham bound train at the railway crossing in Dandenong.
The train hit the back of a B & W truck at three thirty this afternoon just as it was leaving Dandenong Station.
‘’ I didn’t feel it at all, I had music on my earphone and then I realised we stopped because it took a while for them to tell us why’’ Margarette
‘’I was coming from doing my RSA and I’m tired and I really want to go home’’ – Maragrette
The Williation Transport Truck was crossing the railway tracks just and as the train was approaching
Passengers were shocked when the train came to a sudden hault.
‘ I didn’t feel anything at all, I wasn’t even sure why we’d stopped’ – said Kaitlyn from Beaconhills college
The CFA members boarded the idle train via step ladder to offload passengers safely from the train.
‘’The PA system is down and Im just here to tell everybody what’s happening, unfortunately the front of the train has clipped the back of a truck.’’- Brian , CFA
Metro organised buses to pick people up from a nearby bus top.
‘’Passengers will be escorted off the train via ladder, as the train is immobile and unable to move’’- Brian said.
‘’not certain we haven’t got any information on that that all’ – Police sg Thomas
Police advised passengers to stay calm as they were existing the railway tracks.
‘’ Soon as we got some more information we will know what happened’’ – Sg Tomas
‘’ There were no injuries and nobody was hurt but the train can’t move’’- CFA officer, Samuel.
Police say there will be an investigation on how this could have happened.