A decade ago these men risked everything when they fled to Australia by boat — leaving wives, children and family behind in a bid to find a safer future for their loved ones. Now, years later, they languish, downhearted and in despair.
There is desperation in the eyes of the Rohingya and Bangladeshi asylum seekers at a midweek community meeting in Gatton in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.
"Just Panadol," one of the men quickly replies. "Paracetamol," another says. "Panadol," another again chimes in, as their responses overlap.Ms Williamson looks shocked as she realises the men do not have access to basic medical care.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne estimates there are at least 2,000 people in similar circumstances around the country. An immigration lawyer said many of the men's asylum applications had been denied and they had exhausted their legal options, but instead of being detained or deported by government authorities, they had been left to live like ghosts among the community.
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