640km to walk, 450km left.
Twenty-two women walked into Benalla on Sunday, October 1, part way through a trek from Melbourne to Canberra.
These women live in limbo in a country they’ve called home for more than a decade — but the Federal Government has yet to approve them for permanent residency.
The group left Goorambat on Sunday morning, passing through Benalla before spending the night in Glenrowan.
Rathi Barthlote is one of the women leading the walk, and she said the group is fighting physical pain to ensure their message is delivered.
“We keep going in the hopes that our feelings and voices will be heard and that all the refugees in Australia will be given permanent visas,” she said.
“Today’s journey was through a very rough and bumpy road, where we were surrounded by wild bushes and farm fields. Where we encountered many snakes that gave us a terrible scare.
“But it did not seem as a big of an obstacle to any of us because we are trying to achieve something that is going to give us and so many others out there hope and the feel of truly belonging.
“We couldn’t even stop for a proper break due to walking in such conditions.
“We had to cross flooded roads where some of our shoes were soaked, but we kept walking.
“We were strong and united against so many things that came our way,
“The strength and willpower in each and every woman on this walk has given me hope that we will achieve what we are hoping for.
“That one day very soon, we will be truly considered Australians, and we will truly belong here.”
Earlier this year, Prime Minster Anthony Albanese announced that 19,000 refugees could apply for permanency.
However, many others, including these women and their families, were excluded from the announcement.
These women are undertaking the walk, calling for permanent protection for 10,000 refugees and asylum seekers who have fallen through the cracks because of the fast-track system.
The fast track system has tight time frames, leaving a higher risk for refugees and asylum seekers needing protection being returned to their country where they’d face persecution.
They’re also asking for work and study rights for all refugees, the abolition of the Fast Track System and the Immigration Assessment Authority and permanent settlement in Australia for all refugees from the processing centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
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