Kamran
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Kamran is in his 30s. He has a degenerative eye disease and uses a cane. He arrived in Australia nearly a decade ago and claimed asylum.
'I have a political profile with the government [of the country of origin] and this government … it has an agenda,’ Kamran told the Royal Commission. ‘It's not safe for anyone. It's treats harshly anyone that disagrees.’
Doctors discovered Kamran’s eye disease a few years after he arrived, while he was still in detention. A few years ago the government released him on a bridging visa that’s now expired. It rejected his application for a visa to remain in Australia, which means Kamran can’t get adequate support for his disability.
‘I was working, like, two years ago. I was working very hard, but no-one [is now] giving me job with my vision. My vision is really bad ... I'm going to be blind soon and I have no support. I have nothing.’
Kamran isn’t eligible for Medicare and relies on a charity to help him pay to see the doctor. He gets a Centrelink payment, but has been told that’s about to stop.
‘They cannot deport me, but they can make it hard for me. If I [don’t] return back to my country they make it hard for me. So they stop my payment, they stop everything … even NDIS and agencies [are] like that, because I don't have visa they don't help.’
Kamran said he’s also being told to leave his subsidised room.
‘If I rent a one-bedroom [flat] I should pay rent at least per week $150 or $200. And if they stop my payment, I can't pay my rent. So I'm going to be homeless or I will be on the street or somewhere because I have no-one here in Australia to be honest.’
Kamran said he doesn’t require ‘a whole lot’, but needs at least some support because he can barely see.
‘They're giving me so much stress and they put me under pressure right now and I'm really depressed now.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.