Media Release

Neil Para is inviting everyone who supports the Walk for Freedom to become his mate and a mate for the 10,000 refugees who have been in limbo for more than 10 years. You can do this by:

Joining Neil on the last leg of his walk into Sydney on 8-10 September;

Signing and sharing Neil’s petition calling for hope and certainty for 10,000 refugees who are still waiting for a permanent.

Signing can make a huge difference to many.

Neil left Ballarat on 1 August to walk 1000 kilometres to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate in Marrickville, Sydney. Neil is asking for permanent visas for his family and 10,000 other refugees, including 2,000 families with children.

Neil has lived in limbo in Australia for 11 years with his wife Sugaa and their three young daughters Nivash, Kartie and Australian-born Nive who has Australian citizenship. They have no visa, no job and no continuous Medicare.

Neil: “I fled war and persecution in Sri Lanka and arrived in Australia via Christmas Island in 2012. 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.” 

When Neil started his walk, he had already gathered dozens of supporters around him. Now, more than 600 kilometres in, Neil and his family have won the hearts of thousands in Australia and overseas in support of their cause: asking for permanent protection and better rights for his family and for the 10,000 other refugees who have been left behind.

Since Neil started walking, more than 5000 people have signed and shared the petition, taking the total from 12,000 to 17,000 signatures because they know Neil, his family and the 10,000 refugees they are working for deserve justice. Every day, new supporters – including refugees, advocates, volunteers, SES colleagues and local community members along the way – are keen to walk part of the 1,000 kilometres with Neil to show support for the Walk for Freedom. To date, more than 40 refugees who walked with Neil into Shepparton, visiting the local mosque and enjoying a Hazara lunch together and sharing stories of the impact of lack of permanent visas and certainty on their lives.

Musician Rose Turtle-Ertler from Tasmania who walked with Neil, welcomed Neil in a friend’s home and sang Let Them Stay, the song she wrote for Neil and his family when she met them in 2011.

The many people who walk with Neil and offer their homes to Neil, so he can have a good night’s sleep and a good meal before he continues his journey the next day.

Drivers and support vehicles who stay with Neil while he walks to make sure Neil and others on the roads are safe, taking turns driving and walking with Neil.

Neil would love it if you could be his mate and be a mate for the 10,000 refugees left behind by:

Joining Neil as he walks into Sydney (Friday 8 to Sunday 10 September 2023);

Signing and sharing Neil’s petition – and leaving a comment explaining why you think Neil, his family, and the 10,000 refugees left behind should have a home in Australia.