I was just out of high school, 18 at the time. My
desire to visit the detention centre was sparked by what was known as the ‘children
overboard’ situation and the riots at Woomera Immigration Detention Centre.
Coming home from school I would watch the nightly news and hear that people
were sewing their mouths shut in protest of the treatment they were receiving
in Australia, namely the uncertainty of their lives and safety.
The media and politicians at the time were framing this issue as just something ‘these people’ did. Even at 18 I felt that this was absurd. I became determined to understand the real story behind the refugees being detained in Australia.
This determination led to a three year journey as I visited
a group of Iranian refugees in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre each week. It was during the conversations I had there that I began to understand the complexities of why people are forced to flee their
homelands. I also came to see first-hand the distress people experience when
their futures are uncertain and they are dealing with post-traumatic stress
disorder.
This week Four
Corners aired their story Trading Misery which documented the great suffering of families living in Lebanon,
and those who lost their families when the boat they were travelling to
Australia in sank.
To witness the situation they are fleeing from, and
to see the raw grief those left behind are living with, it reminded me of how
great the adversity and anguish is for so many people living around the world. It reminded me again
of how very lucky I am to have been born in a safe country.
In honour of those who live in intolerable circumstances
and situations, who with great courage and sacrifice, seek hope, safety and
freedom, today I wanted to share a part of my personal journey with refugees.
I would like to re-print a section of my honours thesis, a thesis which explored
the role hope plays in the lives of refugees.
This was the prologue of my thesis;
PROLOGUE
When you sit side by side with someone who is unsure of their fate,
you are changed. When there is a very real possibility that their fate could
include death, imprisonment or torture, you are left with a deep imprint which fills
with despair, sadness and shock.
Your view of the world changes as your eyes are opened to the way
that others live. You come to see that the role of governments in people’s
lives, both abroad and within this place you call ‘home,’ can determine life
from death. You can’t help but ask questions of God, you can’t help but ask
questions of yourself.
In 2003 I began visiting a group of Iranian refugees in Villawood Immigration Detention
Centre and did so for three years until they had all been deemed genuine refugees and released. This period of my life I remember vividly with
mixed emotions.
This time in my life was punctuated by deep sorrow and pain, as
I witnessed the effects of a policy that was designed to ‘send a message’ not
support some of the most vulnerable people in the world. It was also a time
when I was confronted and challenged by the power of hope and the resilience of
the human spirit.
Once I had met refugees in person and heard their stories of
courage and survival I could not bear to hear them being described as ‘queue
jumpers’, ‘illegal immigrants’ or ‘possible terrorists.’ To me they were hope
seekers.
The refugees I visited had an infectious hope, a strong belief
that tomorrow would bring some good news. They held onto the idea that their pain and suffering
would not be forever. For some this pain and suffering lasted much longer than
it should have. A few refugees were detained for up to six and a half years,
but amazingly their hope remained.
While in detention I saw refugees work extremely hard to learn
English and Australian colloquialisms, understand the Australian legal system
and make Australian friends. These were people who were as actively involved in
their lives as they possibly could be.
Their passion for life and their motivation did not cease once
released. Once they were granted refugee status, they didn’t delay finding
employment and getting off initial Centrelink support, starting businesses, getting
their driver’s license, buying cars, securing accommodation, getting married
and starting families.
Before circumstances forced these people to flee their homelands, and
take on the label of ‘refugee’ or ‘asylum seeker,’ they were people with
histories, stories and achievements of their own. The reality is that anyone can
become a refugee if circumstances in their country change. This reality should
shape our response to refugees, allowing humility and compassion to dictate
rather than fear and racism.
Very little has been written which celebrates the courageous and
hopeful spirits of refugees and all they have achieved and survived. My
objective for this thesis, therefore, is to create something beautiful that not
only acknowledges the hope that refugees hold onto as their life line, but to
celebrate and encourage this in all of us.
Photo sourced from Four Corners
Jessica Stead xxx
