Without a voice, their lives are in our hands

With shrinking support, Australia's refugees stand both in the centre of the Federal Election and swept to its side. Tania Naseri spoke to those fighting for a voice and a fair go.

Abbas Ghezzy is living through his fifth federal election since he settled in Australia. 

Since fleeing Iran in 2013, Ghezzy’s family has waded through Australia’s visa system, battling for privileges that citizens access freely.

“There’s basic rights that they don’t allow you to do”, he says. “For instance, work, study, or even having the right to Medicare.” 

For the refugee community, the federal election can cause anxiety, insecurity and possibly even the threat of denied visas. Because of Ghezzy’s unresolved visa, he also doesn’t have a voice

“It's really hard because living here so long, you get to see the wrong and right, and wanting to act based on that–but you can't. You can't do anything.” 

“You have to just take a back seat and see what will come.” 

Ghezzy and his community of “roughly 31,000 people” were among the intake to the Fast Track system introduced by the Liberal government in 2014, for protection claims for asylum seekers that arrived by boat.

“My family and I, my dad specifically, were facing persecution back home” 

Abbas, pictured, advocates for further protections for refugees and their families. Photo: Supplied

At just 14 years old, Ghezzy fled Iran by boat with his father and younger brother. He says the journey to Australia was harrowing.

“It got really difficult to live. It was very difficult to leave that country as well, knowing that my older brother and my mum had to stay back.”  

But despite owing his current situation to the Liberal’s Fast Track program, he doesn’t feel the system was fair or managed properly. Human rights organisations such as the Asylum Seeker Resource Center (ASRC) have condemned the system, stating that, “The Fast Track process has failed refugees and people seeking asylum on many levels. It has produced unfair and legally incorrect decisions, caused extended delays, re-traumatised people, and resulted in refugees being deported to countries where they face persecution and serious harm.” 

“It wasn’t really fair…” Ghezzy says. “Look at it this way: there are the same family members, one has a permanent (visa) and one doesn't. So, knowing that, on what merits? On what points did they make the decision?”

“Did they really look at the cases one by one, or did they toss them straight away?”  

Despite the limitations, he has established a life in Australia.  

“I grew up here, I spent all of my youth and adult life down here… I know that Australia is my country.” 

Iranian asylum seekers make up a significant portion of unresolved visa cases in Australia despite fleeing one of the most corrupt regimes in the world. Amongst many human rights violations, the gender apartheid in Iran makes it “extremely difficult for a woman to live alone,” says Iranian woman, Hedieh Hoveida.  

“... even to get a passport- I had to go with my dad because I didn’t have a husband” 

Life in Iran is “drastically different between boys and girls, women and men” says Hoveida. Women cannot leave the country without their husband’s consent, cannot enter sport stadiums, and have to abide by the strict modesty dress codes forbidding them from showing their hair. 

According to Impact Iran, an organisation committed to advocating for human rights in Iran, Iranian law provides “various exemptions for husbands, fathers, and grandfathers who kill or assault their female relatives.” Marital rape, domestic abuse, and child marriages continue to not be criminalized.  

“After I came here, I can see the differences more clearly”, Hoveida says. “The society I grew up with and the society my son is growing up in have dramatic differences.” 

“On one hand, I’m very sad that my childhood was affected by that, on the other hand I’m very happy for my son.” 

Hedieh Hoveida fled Iran in 2015. She was at risk of persecution because of her religion. 

“After my divorce, I became very emotionally fragile and drained. My only source of hope came when my friends introduced me to the Baha'i faith. I started attending classes and prayer groups in secret because it is illegal for a muslim to change their faith in Iran. In order to protect my friends I was very careful to not get tracked so I would leave my phone at home.” 

After three years of this new lifestyle, Hoveida and her friend started facing problems. 

“My friend’s husband was muslim and very controlling. When he found out, we started receiving threats. One day, she suddenly came to me suggesting we run away to Turkey.” 

Hediah Hoveida entered Australia in 2019. Photo: Tania Naseri

Awaiting the UN’s response for her asylum claim, Hoveida and her son lived in Turkey for five years. 

“Being an asylum seeker in Turkey was extremely difficult because they didn’t have refugee camps like they do here. On one hand, you had no working rights and on the other hand you were also forced to rent a place to live. So all your income had to come out of Iran or working illegally.”

“Because I had a 9 year old boy, I had no choice but to work in smuggling. It was very tough work, especially as a lone woman. There was a lot of assault and harassment, I will never forget those struggles.  “

“The best day of my life was when I went to the Australian Embassy and I found out all my paperwork had been done and I was accepted into Australia.” 

Hoveida arrived in Australia under a permanent protection visa in 2019 and has since been granted citizenship.  

“I’m very pleased with the Australian government because as a single mum entering this country, I endured so much hardship- both in Iran and Turkey… I think the government is very good at supporting women. They helped me a lot, even now that I’ve set up a business. The Iranian government offered no support for small businesses.”  

Hoveida opened Hedi Hair Studio & Barber in North Fiztroy last year, after she injured herself and couldn’t work. Photo: Tania Naseri

“I think there’s something in us Iranian women, maybe it’s this difference in culture, but we have the ability to adapt and grow very fast. I experienced a lot of personal growth during this time. I think I’m growing up alongside my son.” 

“During this process of immigration, I gained so much strength that now I’ve started my own small business, and no matter what difficulties come, I’m able to persevere even without a man supporting me. And it is very difficult sometimes, a lot of nights I go to sleep crying, and I feel very lonely without my parents here.” 

Neo nazi groups across Melbourne attracted media attention when they crashed a refugee protest back in August, 2024. Event organisers blamed opposition leader Peter Dutton for his comments on Gaza refugees made earlier that week.

Immigration and, by extension, refugee intake, has remained a key issue in the Federal Election as Australians struggle with housing accessibility and access to welfare programs. The Coalition promised in 2024 to slash humanitarian visas from 20,000 a year to 13,400 if elected this year.

With thousands of refugee and asylum seeker stories just like these, the Asylum Seeker Resource centre (ASRC) urges Australians to “Vote with refugees” this election.  

“I feel empowered, even accepted by the people” says Abbas Ghezzy. “...every one of them is an Australian resident -an Australian citizen. Knowing that people want you to be here, that makes me feel accepted, given the fact that the government doesn’t think so,” 

“Leave us to live our lives and give us human rights."