A LIFE-CHANGING DIFFERENCE © Katie Robertson The Dream of Citizenship Nur, Faisal and family Nur was pregnant with her first child, son Iman, when she arrived in Australia by boat seeking asylum with her husband Faisal. Iman was born shortly after they arrived, and spent more than the first year of his life held in immigration detention in a remote part of Australia, under threat of removal to the remote Island nation of Nauru, where Australia detains people seeking asylum. Through a separate legal action, Nur and her family won the ability to stay in Australia and apply for a visa. Since being released from immigration detention the family obtained a temporary 5 year SHEV visa, and have welcomed three more sons; Aziz, Rahmat, and Husan. Nur dreams of having a daughter so plans to try for one more child in the near future. Nur and Faisal are stateless by virtue of their Rohingya ethnicity. RACS have been previously assisting Nur and Faisal to secure a SHEV visa, and subsequently proactively contacted them with an offer to assist with Iman’s application for citizenship. Prior to this offer of assistance, Nur and Faisal were unaware that they could obtain free assistance with this process. Meet some of the Families ‘We are stateless – we have no country. This is very hard. In our home country we had nothing, our life was very difficult. We couldn’t do anything, go anywhere, choose our path. Coming from nothing, we want to be happy in Australia, for our kids to be happy in their future. Our hope is that citizenship will make them safer and ensure they have a better life. Safety is important to us. I have four sisters and a brother back in my home country. Every night I worry about them and cry when I think of them. I am afraid for them. For children locked in a life of uncertainty — at risk of removal from Australia despite being born here — securing Australian citizenship is life-changing. But they can’t do it alone. More than providing them with a secure future — the ability to play, grow, learn, and contribute to our society — Australian citizenship offers them and their future generations safety and security; a place to call home. Further research and legal support is needed to help other children realise their potential as young Australians. The ‘A Place to Call Home’ Project provides groundbreaking — and for stateless children — vital research and legal support for stateless children in Australia, with life-changing outcomes. Being stateless makes things challenging for us here. My children feel Australian – yet we are often reminded they are not. For example, our eldest child Iman started kindergarten this year. It was so difficult trying to enroll him – they asked about his passport, his visa, his status. I felt embarrassed having to explain he has no passport – no identity. No certainty of his future. Having citizenship will make it easier for him – for all of our kids. ‘Citizenship to me means protection and certainty for my children. Without it, I fear they have no future. The rules change all the time depending on the Government of the day. I see them remove people on visas. With citizenship, I would be less afraid for my children.’ We want our children to grow up and become whatever they want to become. For them to have a safe and bright future. I believe getting citizenship will make this easier for them. My husband and I have come from nothing. I want my children to have a better life – I want them to be Australian citizens. This is my dream.’ 20 — Amir, stateless Palestinian father of four A Life-changing Difference 21