An illegal immigrant from Pakistan has been allowed to continue living in Australia despite being caught overstaying his visa and committing criminal offences, and there are 70,000 more just like him.
The failed student named Shan complained about his situation to the ABC, and said he has been on a bridging visa for five years because his application for a permanent one is “stuck on corrective grounds”.
“The offences I [committed] to try to survive ended up being a stain on my character,” he told the national broadcaster.
Shan – a pseudonym given to him by the ABC to protect his identity – said that after having his first visa rejected because the Australian government believed he was a fake student, he managed to move to Melbourne and then Perth to study business management in 2015.
He told the ABC it was difficult to fit in and depression led to him failing to finish his studies and the cancellation of his visa.
But instead of going home, Shan stayed for another five years, and admitted to the ABC he worked illegally, evaded police checked, stole fuel, and committed a traffic offence that led to him being arrested for overstaying his visa.
Shan was taken to Sydney’s Villawood Detention Centre but was allowed back into the community on the bridging visa.
Although he is not allowed to work, he refuses to go back to Pakistan.
There are about 70,000 illegal immigrants living in Australia, including 32,949 on bridging vias with no working rights, and some are even eligible for income support.
The Labor government will this year consider de-criminalising illegal work and occupational health and safety and workers compensation laws apply to illegal immigrants.
