Nur* “Now I’ve finished school I find it hard to fill my days. I feel like I have too much time. It’s not normal for somebody my age to have so much time.” I came to Australia with my family as a child. We are Rohingya. Because we came by boat and spent time in detention on Nauru, we are not allowed to apply for a visa. We live in limbo. We live in community detention. We aren’t allowed to move around or work. We have lots of conditions applied to us. We have to sign an agreement that controls the way we are allowed to live while in community detention. It says I’m not allowed to have sleepovers with my friends which I find weird. It sets out how we are allowed to interact with our neighbours. We have a curfew. I was allowed to go to school, but I can’t go to University or do any further study. My teachers at school knew this and arranged for me to sit Year 12 twice. We hoped that the government might change things the second year I sat year 12, and possibilities might open up for kids like me. Nothing changed. My final year of school was really hard because all of my friends were looking forward to going to university and choosing courses and stuff. But I couldn’t do any of that, so I felt really left out. It was confusing—how come they could do that but I couldn’t? Now I’ve finished school I find it hard to fill my days. I feel like I have too much time. It’s not normal for somebody my age to have so much time. I try to keep myself busy with painting. I like reading. But sometimes there’s just nothing to do and I sit at home. I’d love to travel around Australia. And overseas. I’d love to go everywhere! See the whole world. All these rules they put on us in community detention make me feel like I’m not human. Like I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be human looking at those rules. I remember being on Nauru as a kid. We were there for more than two years. It was so hot and so hard to sleep. We had to stay in tents. But it was too hot to stay in the tents in the day. You have to be outside. And the tents would get mouldy inside—it was black mould. And we all had to stay in a tent together—there weren’t any separate rooms. In one tent there would be five or six families. There’s no privacy. There was one playground in the detention centre where I’d spend most of my time. But it got pretty boring. If I could say anything to the Prime Minister, it would be to ask for a document—to be a permanent resident or a citizen so that I can at least do something. Go to university and work. I’m not allowed to work. It’s also hard for me to volunteer—I want to be useful and do something with my time. I tried volunteering for a large charity, but I couldn’t get a police check because I don’t have enough documents. I also need to get permission from my case manager to volunteer. I feel like they control every aspect of my life. If I couldn’t study, I’d love to learn about biology. Or medicine. Or I’d like to be a pilot. At our last house, we were right near the airport and I’d watch planes take off and fly over our house. I think the view from a plane must be nice. I’d love to fly away. (June 2024) Understanding Statelessness in Australia | Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness 85