A family of six hailing from Punjab, India, may face deportation from Australia following prolonged exploitation and mistreatment by their employer. Jaswinder Singh and his family have resided in Australia for over ten years, but their fate now hangs in the balance as they await their forced repatriation to India.
Ravneet Kaur, a 20-year-old studying nursing in Victoria, expressed her apprehension about leaving the land she now calls home.
“It’ll just be very hard for me to survive by myself here because we don’t have any other family or support network. My parents have done everything that they were meant to do since 2015. they worked hard working two jobs in a regional area, and I think they should be given their jobs,” Ms Kaur told Indian Link.
Ravneet Kaur’s parents were employed at a convenience store owned by an Australian man. Ms. Kaur claims the man took advantage of their vulnerable immigration status.
“They were overworked and underpaid, with no formal employment contracts or fair working conditions. We have been exploited and looted by our employer for over a decade. We have been forced to work long hours without proper breaks or rest and have not been paid fairly. We have been treated like slaves, with no respect or dignity,” she said.
Kaur added, “We have tried to raise our voices against this injustice, but our employer has threatened and intimidated us. We have been afraid for years and feel we have nowhere to turn for help.”
The family’s situation came to light when their employer was investigated for tax evasion, and their immigration status was revealed. The family claims their employer refused to assist them in their efforts to regularise their status in Australia and threatened them with deportation.
“My mum came to Australia to work as a cook at his hotel. However, he refused to give her work for the first few months till we agreed to buy a house from him. Without any support networks to take advice from, my parents paid the real estate agent their entire life savings to build a house and tirelessly worked for him to secure our permanent residency. However, the owner didn’t support our PR application and eventually liquidated, leaving us stranded,” revealed Ms Kaur.
“Our visa was refused, and my parents were forced to sell the house to pay the huge $50,000 fees for a ‘foreign’ student like me, to educate me and to make me a qualified nurse. Now at 45, my mother can’t apply for permanent residency due to the arbitrary age requirements,” she added.
“We have made Australia our home and contributed to the community here. Our children have grown up here and have received their education here. We cannot be sent back to a country where we have no roots or connections,” said the family.
The family has posted a petition on change.org seeking support from the community. The petition has garnered over 12,000 signatures, with many supporters calling on the Australian government to intervene and grant the family permanent residency in Australia.
Kaur said, “We are overwhelmed by the support we have received from the community. It gives us hope that there is still compassion and justice in the world. We urge the government to listen to our plea and grant us the right to stay in Australia, our home.”
Ravneet Kaur has been invited to apply for her PR independently as a skilled nurse.
“However, surviving without my parents, who I am financially and emotionally dependent on, greatly distressed me. My parents do not deserve to be going through permanent parent visa options, which take another ten years and $50,000 for each applicant, as they have been and are key skilled workers since 2015, still working two jobs in a regional area. They deserve their independent permanent residency for their skills and contributions after being exploited for so long,” states Ravneet Kaur.
The family has sought support from their local Member of Parliament, Sam Rae.
“I have raised this case with Minister Giles’ office. I always seek to advocate for the residents of Hawke appropriately. I don’t comment on individual cases due to the privacy of these matters,” Sam Rae MP, told Indian Link in an emailed response.
The family’s visa refusal application has been heard at the Tribunal court, and they currently await deportation notice.
Read more: Indian family faces deportation asked to leave Australia by May 31