A second chance to thrive

Hannah was a high profile sportsperson who fled her home country to seek protection in Australia. Persecuted by her government due to her religion and political views, she was also a victim of domestic violence. Victimised and oppressed by her own country, she couldn’t even access police protection because of being a woman.

Hannah told us about the night she fled for Australia, “When I first got here, it was at 2am and I didn’t know anyone… I went to a police station and told them I was in danger… I don’t know anyone, I don’t know where to go.”

She recalled those early days on Melbourne’s streets “I was under stress, I didn’t have anything, I didn’t know where I would sleep, I didn’t want to sleep in the street…” Somehow she made her way to the police station – but by then the stress had taken its toll, and she ended up in hospital.

“The next day I woke up, and I was in the ICU.”

Hannah eventually found the ASRC, and was given support by the legal team in submitting her case for asylum. She also received welcome, into the Home of Hope in Footscray where she accessed the support Foodbank, material aid for public transport assistance and warm blankets, as well as healthcare provided by the Health Centre at ASRC.

“I didn’t know anything,” she said about what she knew about the process for claiming asylum before coming to the ASRC.

“ASRC they were so helpful and they gave me a card, they said for your case you need to have a lawyer. They introduced me to one, and then it changed to Emily. I didn’t know I have to submit an application or something like that. Then the ASRC gave me a call and arrange everything and because I had a visa, and before that expired, they sent me an application for getting a bridging visa, they help me with that. And they were so kind to me because I was so stressed to talk about my situation. And also I had a service of doctors and psychologists.”

Hannah said she didn’t think at first what might happen if she didn’t get her permanent protection.

“At that time, at the very beginning, no, I didn’t think that, because I hadn’t talked with other people. But after 5 weeks there were girls, we were talking, and they were telling me how is the process, and long they had been waiting, then I realise, oh it’s going to be a long time. And then… I understood it might take two years, or maybe three, or I don’t know, maybe sometimes I might have to go back, they told me some people had been sent back. And I was like, ‘oh, if these cases happen to me, what am I going to do?’” she said.

“Actually I had a dream once, when I understood about the real facts of what might happen, to me if I was sent back” she said. “Then I fainted… And I ended up back in hospital again because I couldn’t take it”

Eventually after two and half years, Hannah obtained her permanent protection.

“Getting a permanent visa, it was unbelievable for me,” she said. “I felt like ‘I am safe, no one is going to send me out of this country’. And then I felt like ‘now it’s time to show my real potential to this country’”.

She said that the role the ASRC played was central to her success.

“When I came to them they were so promising towards me and they were so supportive” she said about the ASRC’s legal team. “And they were there for me, were like hope for a bright future.”

Hannah says the team of lawyers who helped her case were critical to her success. “I couldn’t go through all that by myself”, she said. “I might have ended up getting a rejection.”

Now having obtained permanent protection, Hannah has built a bright future in Australia. She has started working, teaching and training again in her chosen sporting profession, is currently study a PhD, and has found a community of support.

Hannah’s message for other people seeking asylum in her situation is to not lose hope.

“The other thing for them is always have hope and don’t lose their identity. It’s really difficult but, if they just strongly believe that, whatever they have done in the past, they can gain it in future, at a greater level. So just have hard working and persevere” she said.

The ASRC has one of the largest legal programs supporting people seeking people asylum in the country. But demand has doubled in the last 12 months and we now have a waiting list of over 500 people that need legal assistance to lodge their claim.  

We urgently need your support to meet this critical need. Without this legal support, people are at greater risk of having their cases rejected and being returned back to harm. 

You can support people seeking asylum, like Hannah was, with the legal support they need to help give them the best chance to stay safe and gain protection. Call 1300 692 772 (1300 MY ASRC) to donate or make a donation online. 

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