Highlights
- Hundreds of families across Australia have collectively formed a Facebook group 'Parents are Immediate Family'
- The frustration over the immediate family's definition resulted in over 12,000 people signing a petition
- The petitioners are hoping to get a response from the Minister of Immigration by early February
Under the current COVID-19 border restrictions, the Australian Government only allows the immediate family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents to travel to Australia. However, the immediate family member's definition has become the centre of attention as the description does not include parents.
This has caused heartache to Harjot Singh, and tens of thousands of families across Australia who have collectively formed a Facebook group 'Parents are Immediate Family' that has close to 4,000 members.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Mr Singh who longs to reunite with his father who is currently in India, said the group has planned to hold peaceful protests in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide on Sunday.
"We have both Police and City Council approvals for these events," he said.
"We expect a public assembly to support Australian citizens and residents whose parents were born overseas, and they want the government to include their parents as an immediate family for travel exemptions."
'Our parents remain abandoned overseas'
Parents are a key part of an emotional support system for many migrants and their families. Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed
The frustration over the immediate family's definition resulted in over 12,000 people signing a petition tabled in parliament in November last year.
Another representative of the group, Valeria Greenfield, told SBS Punjabi said parents are a key part of an emotional support system for many migrants and their families. She said their absence is causing a lot of emotional and mental stress to the affected families.
"We are Australians who are currently suffering from mental stress because we can't travel to our native countries owing to the current border restrictions. All we have now is despair and no hope," she said.
Ms Greenfield said it is unfair that the government is letting in business people and sportspersons, while their parents remain abandoned overseas.
"We are forced to be separated from our parents while international cricket and tennis players and their families, businessmen, and investors are getting exemptions to travel to Australia.
"Our parents remain abandoned overseas, and they can't enter despite paying up hefty visa fee," she lamented.
Mr Singh said they aim to bring the attention of the parliamentarians to cause with Sunday's protests.
"We intend to raise our voice to seek parliament's approval for our petition that was tabled in federal parliament in November by MP Celia Hammond.
"We hope to see our parents be part of this system which has been very unfair and cruel to thousands of Australian families," he added.
The petitioners are hoping to get a response from the Minister of Immigration by early February.
Click on the player above to listen to the interview in Punjabi.
