Stand with Sajeda on the right side of history

Supporting refugee-led advocacy is one of the current strategic priorities of the ASRC. Through the work of our Refugee Leadership & Advocacy Program, we are contributing to building the skills and confidence of the next generation of leaders with lived experience to lead the movement, take a stand and advocate for the human rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.

We are now seeing a generation coming of age who arrived in this country as children, seeking safety and refuge. Having grown up in our communities, they are ready to lead and drive change on issues that have impacted them and their family’s lives for far too long. 

It is a sobering reality to know that many of these emerging leaders have spent nearly half their lives waiting for an answer, wading through uncertain waters. Yet because of this, we are also witnessing a type of leadership filled with even deeper compassion, determination and resolution. 

Leadership like Sajeda’s, who arrived in Australia after her family fled violence and persecution in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Desperate to protect his family, Sajeda’s father made the long and perilous journey from Afghanistan to Australia solo. “It was risky, but he came first in an effort to protect us from being harmed or killed on the trip,” she recalls.

The rest of Sajeda’s family remained behind, under a constant threat to their lives, patiently waiting for news. It took years before the family was reunited in Australia, a testament to the painfully slow and shameful process many people seeking asylum face in this country. 

But even the years of pain and uncertainty waiting for protection that Sajeda and her family experienced seemed like a lucky alternative to what was to come for thousands of people. Sajeda’s family was not directly affected by the announcement 11 years ago from former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd indicating, “If you come by boat, you will never permanently live in Australia”, but thousands of people who arrived after August 3rd, 2013, were about to face the beginning of one of the most shameful periods of injustice in Australia’s history. 

Rudd’s statement has fueled over a decade of government policy aimed at keeping refugees and people seeking asylum locked away offshore or unable to settle in Australia. These policies have severely impacted the health and well-being of those seeking safety, created divisions within the public, and spread fear through misinformation.

This injustice has been a motivation for Sajeda to advocate for other refugee families that, just like hers, only needed protection from violence and persecution. 

Under the new Albanese Government, our hopes for change and reform were quickly dashed by inaction on critical issues. The attempt to rush through the deportation bill further highlights the need to keep the government accountable for fulfilling its promises and ensure a safe, just future for people seeking asylum.

That is why we need the strength and passion of leaders like Sajeda. Who better to lead change on refugee issues than those with lived experience? This is why the ASRC’s Community, Advocacy, and Power Program (CAPP) is so important. It provides young refugee leaders with the tools they need to create change through advocacy and campaigning.

For Sajeda, participating in the CAP Program and using her experiences to help raise awareness of the struggles faced by refugees was deeply important. “It helped me develop myself and grow my confidence. I learned how to speak up and bring awareness to refugee issues, advocate for permanency and family reunion,” she says.

As we launch our September Appeal, the question is clear, will you stand with Sajeda on the right side of history?