Razia had been a stateless person her whole life. She had been unable to vote, been denied universal education and healthcare, and faced a life of discrimination, persecution and upheaval. All this changed recently when Razia was granted Australian citizenship at the age of 33.
Razia is a Rohingya women from Myanmar – a Muslim ethnic group that are denied citizenship by the Myanmar government. This denial of basic human rights, alongside a decades-long military campaign against them, has displaced millions of Rohingya from their home in Rakhine State.
Razia came to Australia by boat in 2011 when she was just 18 years old, pregnant with her first child. After being granted a temporary bridging visa she settled on the mainland.
However, by no fault of her own, Razia spent the next 12 years living life in limbo on a temporary bridging visa due to changes in the law. During this time, she had no surety that she could remain in Australia – she was effectively still stateless. The uncertainty led to mental health challenges while Raiza was also the victim of family violence.
Razia approached TRLS in 2023 after previously moving to Tasmania. Our legal team provided full representation to Razia but were soon facing a significant challenge. Due to the Myanmar government not recognising Rohingya and the way her life was uprooted, Razia did not have a birth certificate or any other original form of identification.
Our lawyers were able to escalate Razia’s case before the Department of Home Affairs. For the hearing, TRLS provided hundreds of pages of documentation to prove Razia was who she said she was – a frustrating and disempowering process – as well as arguing that she met the requirements for permanent protection under recent changes in the law.
A year later, Razia was notified that her 12+ year legal battle was over, and she would be granted permanent residency. This was a life changing result for Razia and her children who were also granted permanent residency.
Given the significant legal issues involved, Razia would never have been able to achieve this outcome without the free legal service offered by TRLS.
We are happy to share than when Raiza became eligible to apply for Australian citizenship a year later, we assisted her with this process, and Raiza is now a fully fledged Aussie. For someone who has spent their entire life without legal recognition and rights, without knowing she was entitled to stand on the land beneath her feet, the citizenship ceremony was a mix of joyous relief and hope for a better future.