Neil Para is a refugee from Sri Lanka who is walking more than 1000 kilometres to make a change to the life of refugees across the country.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Mr Para will have already been walking for a month when he passes through Goulburn on September 1, having started in Ballarat 31 days earlier.
ALSO READ:
As he makes his trek, he is inviting people to become his "mate for a mate" for the 10,000 refugees who have been in limbo for more than 10 years.
Mr Para recently caught up with fellow activist Pat Farmer in Yass who is also making his way around the country on foot for the 'Yes' vote.
"I was extremely privileged to catch up with Pat today and discuss why we're both doing what we're doing," Mr Para said.
Mr Para has started a petition to get permanent visas for himself, his family and 10,000 other refugees.
The refugee is aiming to get to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's electorate in Marrickville by Sunday, September 10 to ask him to give refugees a fair go when it comes to living in Australia.
While marching across the country has already proven itself strenuous, Mr Para said he can't give up.
"It's like my feet tell me to just keep walking," Mr Para said.
Mr Para has lived in limbo in Australia for more than 10 years with his wife and three kids, one of which was born in Australia but the family are still yet to receive their permanent visas leaving them without jobs and continuous Medicare coverage.
Mr Para said the process in getting their visas has been very frustrating and he knows how many other people the process affects which is his motivation behind the walk.
"I fled war and persecution in Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia via Christmas Island in 2012," Mr Para said.
"Asylum seekers like me from militarised parts of the world seek safety in Australia."
"Instead, we experienced 14 months of detention in immigration detention centres that almost broke our spirit. But we are resilient, and we carry the hope that all 10,000 refugees who have been forgotten will call Australia home one day," Mr Para said.
Since starting his journey, the father of three has won the hearts of Australians everywhere with more than 5000 people signing the petition so far taking the total to more than 17,000.
To support Mr Para's journey and reaching his goal of 25,000 signatures, the petition can be signed through the Walk for Freedom website.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Google News
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters
