After more than one year we were placed on Bridging visas and told we had to leave our home and find a new place to live. Finding a place to rent in a big city is not easy – we don’t have connections, rental referees, a history. Thankfully, an Australian friend helped me and eventually, we were given a 5 year temporary visa. But again, the visa meant we have to move. I finally had a friend – had established some links in the community - and we had to leave again, to move to a regional location. It was so hard – another new life to start again. But at least on this visa we were allowed to work and study. My wife has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. First she had to study English and just as she finished this and was about to start nursing, Covid-19 restrictions came into place and she had to give it up to look after the kids. All this time I am waiting for something good to come to my family. But we followed the rules. We lived regionally in Victoria for four years before we were allowed to move back to the city; allowed to decide where we want to live our lives. Not long ago we were able to finally apply for a permanent visa, and we have now applied to become Australian citizens. We are waiting, hoping. Our youngest child – he recently was granted Australian citizenship. It took nearly three years for his application to be approved. He could get citizenship because my wife and I are stateless and he was born here. But this is not the case for our other children. Sometimes this causes tension – they ask us “Why does he get citizenship and we don’t? We are all siblings, what is the difference?” see my kids crying, afraid, I must act. And because I am Palestinian, where can I go? Wherever I go they will catch me and say “You are Palestinian, go back to where you came from.” But I have no country – where can I go? People ask me – “Do you feel Syrian or Palestinian?” Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know where I belong. I know my kids have memories of the detention centres. They were there for 2 years. Behind bars. After fleeing a war. After living in transit on the way to Australia. But I encourage them to forget, to focus on their new future here. We have to look to the future. I arrived in Australia over ten years ago. For more than a decade I have been worrying, waiting. Worrying and waiting. Even though we are permanent visa holders, we still worry. We just want to get citizenship, to know we are ok in this country – to know we are safe. This is my country now. It is a good country. How can I explain this? You can do whatever you like here. It is not the same where we come from. Our children have a future of freedom we have never known. When my youngest child got Australian citizenship I felt like crying. I am so happy. I don’t believe it really. I feel relief. All of my life’s hardships are worth it to see my son okay. After more than a decade of limbo here, that is enough. Enough time to wait. (August 2024) When I think back to leaving Syria, I think, it is one thing for me to feel in danger. But when I have children – when I am their father – I have to find safety. For them. For me, I can manage it. But when I Understanding Statelessness in Australia | Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness 93