The Catholic Leader - July 2

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The Catholic Leader, July 2, 2017
News
Iranian woman to be sent back to danger and abuse
Mojgan’s visa denied
Sad fate: Mojgan Shamsalipoor and Milad Jafari in happier times.
Love and hurt: Mojgan Shamsalipoor and Milad
Jafari have released a book, Under the Same
Sky, which tells the story of their flight from Iran
and the hurt they have endured because of
Immigration Department decisions in Australia.
By Mark Bowling
AN Iranian woman’s “hopes and
dreams” in Australia have been
dashed by an Immigration Depart-
ment order that could force her to be
deported by the end of this year.
Mojgan Shamsalipoor, 24, has lived in
Brisbane for the past nine months after
.
Her case has been in the media spotlight, and
she has released a book telling of her heart-
wrenching struggle to remain in Australia with
her husband.
However, on June 14, a phone call from the
office of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has
confirmed Ms Shamsalipoor has only six months
left in Australia before returning to Iran.
Her lawyer Kevin Kardigamar said despite “a
legal limbo with no future at all”, Ms Sham-
salipoor would continue to fight for her hopes
and dreams, but the constant threat of being
detained or sent back to Iran was having “a very
draining impact on her mental health”.
Under an international agreement, Iran refuses
to accept the involuntary return of asylum seek-
ers.
Ms Shamsalipoor faces persecution and im-
prisonment if forced to return.
“The Minister does not want to intervene or
even look at her case again,” Ms Shamsalipoor’s
husband Milad Jafari said.
“It is a very shocking and depressing decision
made by the Minister. He should be our leader
and look at the case of each individual.”
Ms Shamsalipoor and Mr Jafari are two young
Iranian asylum seekers who met in Australia
after fleeing their homeland.
At just 17 years of age, all Ms Shamsalipoor
wanted was to be safe from physical and sexual
abuse.
In the months between their separate sea voy-
ages, the Australian Government changed the
way asylum seekers were treated.
Though Mr Jafari is recognised as a refugee
and will soon become an Australian citizen, Ms
Shamsalipoor has been told she cannot stay here
even though the threat of imprisonment and
further abuse, or worse, means she can’t return
to Iran.
In September last year, after almost two years
in detention, including time inside Darwin’s
Wickham Point Detention Centre, Ms Sham-
salipoor was released back into the community.
Mr Dutton used his discretionary powers to is-
sue Ms Shamsalipoor a temporary bridging visa,
which was renewed in March while she then
applied for a partner visa.
The department has rejected her application
for a partner visa and given her until the end of
this year on another temporary bridging visa.
More than 105,000 people have signed a peti-
tion in which Ms Shamsalipoor has pleaded for
Mr Dutton to allow her to stay.
“I’d rather kill myself than return to Iran – to
the hell where my stepfather took my innocence
by force,” the petition states.
“My life’s been rebuilt in Brisbane. I went to
high school here, made incredible friends and
married a beautiful man.”
A new biography, Under the Same Sky, re-
leased in April, has raised the profile of Mojgan
and Milad and their case to stay together in
Australia.
The book tells of a couple’s love and caring
for each, and includes the tale of her harrowing
detention.
“This is our story, but it is the story of a lot of
refugees I met … during two years in detention,”
she said.
“They deserve to be in the community. They
deserve to have a normal life as everyone.”
Under the Same Sky is also a story of how
Australians from many walks of life, have sym-
pathised and backed the young couple.
Supporters range from a legion of schoolgirls
to
.
“It is very clear the general public feel very
strongly about this case,” Mr Kardigamar said.
“It makes no sense keeping a young woman,
a member of an Australian family, in limbo. It
contributes nothing to border security, and lacks
all compassion.
“She (Mojgan) cannot be sent back to Iran
because the Iranian Government does not accept
forced deportees. And Mojgan is very clear in
her resolve she will not go back to Iran voluntar-
ily.
“Everyone gains if she is allowed some kind
of a future in Australia.”
Ms Shamsalipoor and Mr Jafari, along with
former teacher Jessica Walker, spoke at a World
Refugee Day rally in Brisbane on June 24.
A petition in support of Ms Shamsalipoor
can be found online at: