Under the government’s current travel restrictions, only the immediate family members of an Australian citizen or permanent resident are allowed to enter the country. But parents aren't part of this arrangement because they are not classed as ‘immediate family’.
Further to aggravate this situation, Australians are also denied the right to leave the country to visit their parents or other family members unless in limited circumstances. Many find the process of exemptions too hard to work for them.
Highlights
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- They cite examples of countries such as Canada that are allowing parents into the country despite the pandemic.
- A lobby group ‘Parents are Immediate Family’ recently pushed for a petition that was signed by more than 70,000 people.
This has prompted heartache for tens of thousands of families across Australia and the world, including Govinda Pathak's, who wishes to bring his elderly parents from Punjab, India, to Australia.
“Our family has been split apart for over a year now. My sister and her family are also living in Australia. So practically, we have no one back home who could look after our parents’ needs in this time of crisis," Mr Pathak said.
“The bigger problem is that we are not even allowed to return due to travel restrictions. The path is so tedious that even if you succeed, there is no guarantee for a safe and timely return."
Mr Pathak said his family was hopeful that it would be a short and temporary phase when Australia imposed international border closures in March 2020.
Govinda Pathak along with his wife Surbhi Verma and parents Rakesh Pathak and Neelam Pathak Source: Supplied by G Pathak
“It's been more than 15 months with no signs of these restrictions being lifted. Instead, we see international students, celebrities, and players being prioritised, but no action is being taken for family reunification.
“Not only us, but there have also been many families who were rejected for exemptions with this whole process being turning out to be utterly humiliating," he rued.
Melbourne-based Harjot Singh, who wants to get his father from India to Australia, .
The Singh family is also desperate for re-unification. Source: Supplied by Harjot Singh
“This has been devastating for our family. There is no doubt that COVID has impacted many Australians. However, being apart from parents for an extended period of time without any indication of when they will be reunited puts us in a deep black hole,” he said.
“This has had a profound impact, mental health has significantly declined, children have not met grandparents, people have had to give up work due to limited support and families are having to re-evaluate their lives in Australia, and we have seen many families who had to leave despite being here for many years," Mr Singh added.
He said Australia has acted indifferently to the issue while countries such as Canada, with a huge migrant population, is allowing parents of citizens into the country despite the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Pathak family wishes to see a firm commitment from the government.
A screenshot of Canada's immigration law that defines who can be an immidiate family. Source: Supplied by Pexels (L)
“We are yet to see a concrete plan from them. We are not asking for the re-opening of borders but want a roadmap from the government about how they plan to enable the safe reunification of families.
“We are surprised to see that despite the vaccination gaining momentum worldwide and with a lot of our parents being fully vaccinated, the government still refuses to change its decision on travel bans," he said.
Mr Pathak is also a member of the lobby group ‘Parents are Immediate Family’ set up by some like-minded people who want to reunite with their parents from across Australia.
Many families have been appealing to include parents as immediate family for travel purposes. Source: Parents are immidiate family Facebook group
The 20,000-strong group recently before being presented in the House of Representatives on 15 June by MP Zali Steggall and in the Senate on 16 June by Greens Senator Nick McKim.
“This is our chance of being heard. We want them [government] to consider this matter on a priority basis. They can’t shut the borders indefinitely, so we want them to set some realistic timelines based on the need and compassionate grounds," Mr Pathak added.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Govinda Pathak (in Punjabi):
LISTEN TO
Migrant families’ push to classify parents as immediate family gains momentum in Australia
SBS Punjabi
08/07/202113:22
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