Siva’s Story

For over a decade, thousands of refugees in Australia have been trapped in limbo. Siva is one of those people.

Siva* was just 15 when he boarded a small, overcrowded boat bound for Australia. He didn’t know that his cousin—whom he calls his brother—would be on board until he saw him there. His father had arranged the journey in desperation, hoping to save his eldest son from the trauma that had left him broken, silent, and afraid.

Siva’s childhood in post-war Sri Lanka was marked by instability and terror. Military checkpoints remained in his village long after the fighting ended. When he was around 14, he witnessed a brutal act of violence committed by soldiers—an image that continues to haunt him. The trauma overwhelmed him. He stopped speaking, trembled constantly, and began talking to himself. He was so ill his bones showed through his skin. Fearing for his life, his father sold everything to put him on a boat to safety.

The journey to Australia was harrowing—18 days on the Indian Ocean, shoulder-to-shoulder with 63 others, facing storms, dehydration, and fear. But for Siva, the ocean meant freedom. “I was still alive,” he said.

On arrival, Siva was detained on Cocos Island, then Christmas Island and Darwin, before being placed in community care in Melbourne with other teenage boys. For a time, he found joy—in school, music, AFL, and friendship. But once he aged out of that system, the ground beneath him shifted again.

Homelessness, isolation, and exploitation followed. He lost his bridging visa in 2019. His cousin, who had returned to Sri Lanka, was tortured and later died of a liver infection. The news sent Siva into a mental health crisis. “An imaginary person inside me was telling me to kill myself.”

Everything changed when a friend took him to Cabrini mental health service. For the first time in years, Siva felt heard. With counselling, he began to slowly rebuild his sense of self. “I can put my troubles in different rooms, and I can lock the doors,” he said. “If you live with good people, you have a good life.”

Thanks to Cabrini, and to Libby from the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP), Siva finally found a safe place to live—and with it, the beginnings of belonging. “Since then, I have met so many beautiful people. They are like angels from the sky. If you want to see God, look at the good souls around you.”

Until recently, Siva had lived in immigration limbo, with no certainty about his future in Australia. In what felt like a miracle—after over a decade, he was finally offered permanent protection in Australia. 

Today, he has hope. He listens to music, reads, goes to the gym. He’s learning to trust again. “I used to ask, ‘Why me?’ I lost everything—my mother, my education, the love of a family. I was just a kid. I just want to lead a normal life.”

And now? “I have a family. I know I am in safe hands. I have big support behind me. I have wings. My wings are back.”

Every day people living in our community are being stripped of hope, dignity, and a future. No new laws are needed to end this state of limbo for thousands of asylum seekers. Just action. The government has the power to grant permanency today — it's a choice of justice over politics.

As Australian Christians, it is time we stand up and say #EndTheWaiting

*Name has been changed for privacy.

Go Deeper

We are thankful for Australia’s humanitarian resettlement program, and the efforts by the Government when they were first elected, to help 20,000 asylum seekers living in limbo find a pathway to permanent settlement. However, thousands of people who have sought safety on our shores still remain in limbo, facing an uncertain future. Many have lived here for years — raising families, working, contributing and building community — yet remain denied permanent protection. Every day of waiting chips away at hope, dignity, and the possibility of rebuilding life.

Common Grace and the National Council of Churches are calling christian communities across Australia to join together in a powerful movement of prayer through the ‘100 Days to End the Waiting’ campaign. Over 100 days, from July - October 2025, communities throughout the country are invited to hold a peaceful prayer vigil near MPs offices, praying for justice for people seeking asylum and calling to #EndTheWaiting for thousands of people who have sought safety on our shores but still remain in limbo, facing an uncertain future.

Find out more and sign up to host a prayer vigil here. 

_____________

The Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP) provides hospitality and practical support for people seeking asylum as well as advocating for the rights of asylum seekers. It was founded in 2001 by Brigidine nuns Sr Brigid Arthur and Sr Catherine Kelly. The Brigidines have been engaged in education and social justice in Victoria over 130 years. Their motto is 'Strength and kindness'.Find out more about the work of Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP) here. 

_____________

Please continue to join in prayer for refugees and people seeking asylum. Explore prayers for Justice for People Seeking Asylum here.