When Elaheh suddenly had to flee Iran, where “everything was dangerous”, she didn’t realise she might never see her family again. 

She’s now a recognised refugee in Australia with an Aussie twang, but because she came by boat the rules of her safety are slippery here too. And the terms of the visa dictate that her family cannot travel to Australia. She must apply for extraordinary permission to travel, to visit them somewhere safe. And it is up to Australia’s Immigration Minister whether her son, born in Adelaide, can ever meet the strong women who raised his resilient mother.

When Elaheh suddenly had to flee Iran, where “everything was dangerous”, she didn’t realise she might never see her family again. <br><br>She’s now a recognised refugee in Australia with an Aussie twang, but because she came by boat the rules of her safety are slippery here too. And the terms of the visa dictate that her family cannot travel to Australia. She must apply for extraordinary permission to travel, to visit them somewhere safe. And it is up to Australia’s Immigration Minister whether her son, born in Adelaide, can ever meet the strong women who raised his resilient mother.

An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.

<p>An initiative of UNSW Sydney, the Centre for Ideas is a thought-provoking program of events and digital content from the globe's leading thinkers, authors and artists.</p>