WEBVTT - Why asylum seekers are barred from Australian universities

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, Hereni, how are you. I'm good, How are you good?

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you? Thank you so much for coming on the show.

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<v Speaker 1>I really appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>No worries at all. Thank you for this opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>Hareni Rafnakuma is twenty three years old. She grew up

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<v Speaker 1>in Sunshine in Melbourne.

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<v Speaker 2>I was born in Sri Lanka as a Tamil Elam

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<v Speaker 2>person and I had to flee the genocide that took

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<v Speaker 2>place in Damil Elam and I went to India as

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<v Speaker 2>a refugee.

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<v Speaker 1>In India, Hareni lived in a refugee camp. She describes

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<v Speaker 1>an early childhood marked by fear, where going to school

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<v Speaker 1>was difficult. The fees were exceptionally high and her family

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<v Speaker 1>struggled to pay. Hareni remembers this one day when she

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<v Speaker 1>was ten years old. She was hanging around the adults

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<v Speaker 1>evesdropping on the conversations and she heard them talking about

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<v Speaker 1>a place called Australia.

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<v Speaker 2>My dad was talking to a neighbor about how it

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<v Speaker 2>was a better place to live in how they were

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<v Speaker 2>well becoming refugees, and that our family would be better

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<v Speaker 2>off there instead of in India. We cannot go back

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<v Speaker 2>to Sri Lanka, and I do believe he mentioned something

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<v Speaker 2>about free education to the neighbor and that's when I

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<v Speaker 2>got hooked on. I was like, I wouldn't be a

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<v Speaker 2>burden to my family at all because my dad couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>afford to be the feast that got into my head

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<v Speaker 2>and I was very stubborn. When my dad was going

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<v Speaker 2>to leave, I was like, I am coming with you

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<v Speaker 2>or I'm going to die. That's what I told him

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<v Speaker 2>to a kid hearing how Australia was a better place

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<v Speaker 2>and they would treat us better, our human rights would

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<v Speaker 2>be upheld to a kid, that sounds like a wonderful dream.

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<v Speaker 1>And that dream was realized. Hareni made it to Australia

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<v Speaker 1>and went to school. But what she could never have

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<v Speaker 1>expected is it a largely unknown feature of our immigration

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<v Speaker 1>system would stop her from getting the full education she

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<v Speaker 1>risked her life for. From Schwartz Media, I'm Ruby Jones.

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<v Speaker 1>This is seven AM today on the show Hareni Rathnakuma

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<v Speaker 1>on the promise of life in Australia and why the

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<v Speaker 1>children of refugees aren't able to attend university. Here. It's Monday,

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<v Speaker 1>April twenty one. This episode was originally published in September

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<v Speaker 1>last year. HARENI, can you tell me about your journey

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<v Speaker 1>to come to Australia with your dad? It was scary.

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<v Speaker 3>It was very, very scary.

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<v Speaker 2>It was almost seventeen to eighteen days a worth of

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<v Speaker 2>journey on the sea. It was short of one hundred

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<v Speaker 2>people on that boat. There was a bit at the

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<v Speaker 2>bottom where they would store fishes, I believe because there

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<v Speaker 2>was eyes too, and that's where most of the people

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<v Speaker 2>kind of head away when we had to cross the

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<v Speaker 2>border and we all shared this space and everyone was

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<v Speaker 2>just throwing up. Most people couldn't even like sit up.

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<v Speaker 2>It was covered in warmt But because my dad was there,

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<v Speaker 2>I knew i'd be okay. I knew he'd be taking

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<v Speaker 2>care of me, and that's what he did.

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<v Speaker 1>And do you remember any of the other people on

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<v Speaker 1>the boat, did you talk to them?

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<v Speaker 2>I made so many friends because there were so many

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<v Speaker 2>young kids like me. There was a guy that I

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<v Speaker 2>became best friends with. He and I love to study.

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<v Speaker 2>That's what we connected over. And what was funny was

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<v Speaker 2>that after so many years of being separated, we ended

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<v Speaker 2>up going to the same uni. We reached Coco's Island

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<v Speaker 2>and the Navy. They came and took us to safety,

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<v Speaker 2>and I was so joyed. I was very, very joyed.

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, finally we made it. I was transferred

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<v Speaker 2>to Adelaide detention Center. That was after spending a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of months in Christmas Island, and then they transferred me out.

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<v Speaker 2>They were like, you're allowed to go live in the

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<v Speaker 2>community now, and my dad chose Melbourn.

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<v Speaker 1>HARENI and her dad were put on a bridging visa,

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<v Speaker 1>which is what it sounds like. It's a temporary visa

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<v Speaker 1>where the government can decide at any point what it wants.

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<v Speaker 3>To do with you.

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<v Speaker 1>You stay on it until you're assessed one way or

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<v Speaker 1>the other, and you can be deported at any time.

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<v Speaker 1>Many Tamil asylum seekers are stuck in this kind of limbo.

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<v Speaker 1>They face some of the lowest acceptance rates as refugees,

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<v Speaker 1>like the Billa Wheeler family, who were only granted permanent

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<v Speaker 1>visas after a huge campaign to let them stay. Parini

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<v Speaker 1>and her dad have been on this type of visa

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<v Speaker 1>since they arrived in twenty thirteen.

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<v Speaker 2>I was eleven when I came to Melvin. I came

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<v Speaker 2>at nighttime, my second or the third time I've been

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<v Speaker 2>on a fly and the city looked so beautiful, and

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<v Speaker 2>I was just so happy to be here. I was

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<v Speaker 2>put into a primary school right away instead of a

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<v Speaker 2>language school. I was very proud to be standing there

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<v Speaker 2>because people had knew about the Tamil genocide that took place,

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<v Speaker 2>and I was glad know the other people knew. The

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<v Speaker 2>other people were actually cared. I enjoyed going to school

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<v Speaker 2>primary school here. I made so many friends, and again

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<v Speaker 2>my dad didn't have to pay, so I was thrilled.

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, oh my god, free education. And I

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<v Speaker 2>also went to high school here where I finished year

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<v Speaker 2>twelve in twenty twenty, the year of COVID.

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<v Speaker 1>And then you applied for university. Can you tell me

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<v Speaker 1>about that.

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<v Speaker 2>I had applied to Vicuni to study a Bachelor of

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<v Speaker 2>Biomedical Science to then go on to become a doctor.

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<v Speaker 2>My brother has always suffered with this condition affecting his kidneys,

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<v Speaker 2>and he was always on medication. He was always getting

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<v Speaker 2>some kind of surgery done, and I thought if I

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<v Speaker 2>became a doctor, then I would be able to provide

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<v Speaker 2>that kid to a little bit more people. So I

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<v Speaker 2>got my offer letter saying that I was accepted in

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<v Speaker 2>that degree. I was thrilled. I was thrilled to get

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<v Speaker 2>that offer. I gave my dad a call. I gave

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<v Speaker 2>him so much joy by letting him know that I

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<v Speaker 2>was offered a place in UNI.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming up after the break, Hareni learns what her education

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<v Speaker 1>will cost.

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<v Speaker 3>Her welcome back.

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<v Speaker 1>When Hareni started applying for universities, she was made to

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<v Speaker 1>do so as an international student. She thought it was

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<v Speaker 1>strange given she'd been here since she was a child,

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<v Speaker 1>but didn't think too much about it. Hareni still remembers

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<v Speaker 1>the moment she opened that letter from Victoria University telling

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<v Speaker 1>her that she's been accepted into biomedical science, her first

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<v Speaker 1>step towards becoming a doctor.

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<v Speaker 2>So it said that I was offered a place as

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<v Speaker 2>an international student because I've applied as an international student,

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<v Speaker 2>because that's the only way I can apply. The second

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<v Speaker 2>page had the fear infom the total amount that was

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<v Speaker 2>expected for us to pay. It said ninety five thousand,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm like I was just sitting there looking at

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<v Speaker 2>it for a couple of minutes because I didn't believe

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<v Speaker 2>my eyes. First, I was like, ninety five thousand for what?

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<v Speaker 2>And then I sat down verted over and over again.

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<v Speaker 2>I was shocked, and I didn't want to break it

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<v Speaker 2>to my dad that I would have to pay these feests.

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<v Speaker 2>And then I gave my dad a call. I told

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<v Speaker 2>him that I wouldn't be able to access X. I

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<v Speaker 2>was heartbroken over why this was, and when I asked

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<v Speaker 2>my dad why I was being treated differently when I

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<v Speaker 2>tried to apply for UNI, he said, well, our case

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<v Speaker 2>has been rejected and they haven't found us to be

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<v Speaker 2>junior refugees. They don't actually want us here, and.

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<v Speaker 1>That broke my heart.

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<v Speaker 2>I was like, all this hope that I've saved up,

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<v Speaker 2>all this dreams that I've built over so many years

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<v Speaker 2>after coming to this country broke.

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<v Speaker 1>So it sounds like at some point during the application process,

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<v Speaker 1>you had realized that you would need to apply as

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<v Speaker 1>an international student, but it wasn't until you got that

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<v Speaker 1>letter that you realized what that meant and how much

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<v Speaker 1>money that would cost. Is that right? Yeah, that's right.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes. But my dad was like, I'll do whatever to

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<v Speaker 2>make your study, I'll do whatever to make you unlocked

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<v Speaker 2>her and I felt like I was placing that burden

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<v Speaker 2>on him yet again. What was a happy moment was

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<v Speaker 2>kind of broken after hearing about the fees.

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<v Speaker 1>Parini's dad scrambled to find the money working an extra

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<v Speaker 1>job so that she could start studying. She completed two

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<v Speaker 1>and a half years of her degree with support from

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<v Speaker 1>her dad and also from her husband, who she married

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<v Speaker 1>while she was at UNI.

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<v Speaker 2>I had done two and a half eas of my

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<v Speaker 2>bachelor degree, which in which I had four months left

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<v Speaker 2>to graduate. My dad had an injury at work and

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<v Speaker 2>my husband ended up losing his job around the same time,

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<v Speaker 2>and we couldn't do anything to pay for the UNI

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<v Speaker 2>as well. They had decided to just enroll me because

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<v Speaker 2>I couldn't pay. So I already owe the UNI like

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<v Speaker 2>twenty four or twenty five K, and I would need

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<v Speaker 2>another twenty four or twenty five k to finish off

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<v Speaker 2>my bachelor degree. But in saying so, I also want

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<v Speaker 2>to do a Bachelor of Medicine, which makes me a doctor.

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<v Speaker 2>And to do medicine it's like seventy seven thousand a year.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not even able to pay ninety five thousand for

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<v Speaker 2>three years. How am I going to pay seventy seven

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<v Speaker 2>thousand for a year to become a doctor. I wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>able to brive with vanes and a banks because of

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<v Speaker 2>my visa status and it drove me to depression. I

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<v Speaker 2>had to face the harsh reality in the truth that

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<v Speaker 2>the country didn't want me here, that I don't actually

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<v Speaker 2>belong anywhere at all, the country I was born and

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<v Speaker 2>doesn't want me, wants to get rid of me, kill me,

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<v Speaker 2>and I didn't even know what to do. I sought

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<v Speaker 2>out so many organizations, so many refugee supporters to see

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<v Speaker 2>if they could help me at all. My husband did

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<v Speaker 2>write to so many MP's as well, and all they

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<v Speaker 2>said was that they could probably get us mental help,

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<v Speaker 2>but they cannot do anything about my situation or about

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<v Speaker 2>my education either. It was hard because well, the politician

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<v Speaker 2>that needs to care for us, they don't even consider

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<v Speaker 2>us human beings.

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<v Speaker 1>There are more than ten thousand people on bridging visas

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<v Speaker 1>in Australia, and with Year twelve exams and university offers approaching,

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<v Speaker 1>the young people who were brought to Australia by parents

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<v Speaker 1>seeking asylum will be faced with this same problem. Pay

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<v Speaker 1>the extremely high international fees or forgo the chance to

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<v Speaker 1>get a tertiary education and the opportunities that brings.

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<v Speaker 2>What am I supposed to do with my life in

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<v Speaker 2>those years? I cannot study. So I'm going to have

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<v Speaker 2>to work. I am working, I am paying tax. This

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<v Speaker 2>is what we've been doing for twelve years. We've been

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<v Speaker 2>paying tax, waiting for this opportunity to get to go

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<v Speaker 2>Australia or home and to finally be at peace, to

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<v Speaker 2>have that breadth of siyeh and know that we finally

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<v Speaker 2>belong in this country. Yep, we haven't been given that opportunity.

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<v Speaker 1>And so ha RENI, what would need to change for

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<v Speaker 1>you to be able to study at university here like

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<v Speaker 1>any other student.

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<v Speaker 2>The only solution at the moment that we have is

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<v Speaker 2>that we need our permanent viasas and if we do

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<v Speaker 2>have our permanent visas, then we'll be able to apply

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<v Speaker 2>as a domestic student, which we are after ten years

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<v Speaker 2>in this country. We are domestic. This is our home

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<v Speaker 2>home and we should be able to have access to

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<v Speaker 2>education without worrying about all the fees that that's going

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<v Speaker 2>to literally break our families. About the boy I told

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<v Speaker 2>you about the boy that went to the same UNI

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<v Speaker 2>as me. He came on the same boat as me,

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<v Speaker 2>He played with me on the boat. He had to

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<v Speaker 2>flee the same situation we had to flee, the same

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<v Speaker 2>genocide he's got a visa though, so he did end

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<v Speaker 2>up end up getting a permanent visa. I came with

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<v Speaker 2>him and they have treated me so unfairly and said

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<v Speaker 2>that I'm not a genuine refugee, that I don't belong here.

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<v Speaker 2>After building a home and a life here, A lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people have lost their lives waiting in a slimbo,

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<v Speaker 2>including one of my friends who was also trying to study.

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<v Speaker 2>Yet because we can't, he had to go and work.

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<v Speaker 2>He paid tax. Yeah, after waiting in this slimbo, he's

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<v Speaker 2>taken his life.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm so sorry to hear that. ARENI Like, what is.

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<v Speaker 2>This government going to do with us? Like we've been here,

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<v Speaker 2>We've been begging, we've been campaigning for our rights. Yet

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<v Speaker 2>the government hasn't even looked at us. They haven't given

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<v Speaker 2>us a reply.

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<v Speaker 1>And RENI, we know that there have been cases where

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<v Speaker 1>the government has intervened on behalf of people who have

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<v Speaker 1>been living on ridging visas. I'm thinking of Nadees and

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<v Speaker 1>Pria Rigappa and the Bila Willa family. Can you tell

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<v Speaker 1>me your thoughts on that.

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<v Speaker 2>I am glad for those families that did end up

0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.280
<v Speaker 2>receiving permanent visas, such as the Billowilla and the bell

0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:38.840
<v Speaker 2>are At family. Priya actually traveled on the same boat

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<v Speaker 2>with me, and they faced so many struggles. They were

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<v Speaker 2>almost deported from this country and they were finally able

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<v Speaker 2>to give their visas after so much fight. I'm happy

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<v Speaker 2>for them. I'm happy that they get to call this

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<v Speaker 2>country home. I'm happy they're finally safe and say keep

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<v Speaker 2>in this country. But in doing so, the government it

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<v Speaker 2>has when we looked at one family or a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of families, even though I'm happy for them, why aren't

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<v Speaker 2>we given the scene opportunity, Why are we still being

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<v Speaker 2>left behind?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Hereni, thank you so much for talking to me

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<v Speaker 1>about all of this today. I really appreciate you speaking

0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:22.720
<v Speaker 1>with me, no worries.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

0:14:25.960 --> 0:14:28.520
<v Speaker 1>To find out more about Hareni and other students going

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<v Speaker 1>through this, you can read Denhim Sadler's story in the

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday Paper. It's called All My Dreams Shattered asylum Seekers

0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:52.560
<v Speaker 1>Barred from Australian Universities. It's available now. We spoke to

0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:55.800
<v Speaker 1>Hareni just recently. She told us that she's still stuck

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<v Speaker 1>in limbo. Her case has not progressed. Hareni said she's

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<v Speaker 1>still hoping for a permanent visa and is hopeful that

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<v Speaker 1>if labor wins, they may reconsider their position on people occur,

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<v Speaker 1>but so far, no one from the government has indicated

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<v Speaker 1>they'll help her.