by YOGACHANDRAN RAHAVAN
After years of displacement during the prolonged Sri Lankan civil war, Yogachandran Rahavan and his family were placed in a refugee camp. In 2009 they were formally recognised as refugees by the UNHCR and Australian immigration authorities.
ASIO has since branded Yogachandran and his wife Sumathy as threats to national security and as a result they cannot be resettled in Australia. One year ago, the family were transferred to Villawood detention centre, where Sumathy gave birth.
Yogachandran and Sumathy are concerned about the future of their children (aged 7, 4 and 1) who only know what life is like behind the wire.
Yogachandran writes:
My family’s situation has been a worst-case scenario for 2 years now.
When your son is born in a detention centre and has celebrated every birthday in detention since.
When your daughter asks you why you are locked up and treated like a criminal if you aren’t one.
When your day-to-day life is restricted in every humiliating way imaginable.
And with all of this, you are not given a single reason why and you are not told when the ordeal will end.
There are currently 51 detainees in legal limbo in detention around Australia. Yet it is clear that the government had not given much thought of how to handle our situation, and it has not occurred to them to talk to us about it.