Back in Brisbane

Peter, right, with his son.

 

Peter left Phnom Penh on Friday night and arrived back 'home' in Brisbane last Saturday. He was stuck in Poipet for several years with no job, no money, no visa and (recently) no current passport. We could argue whether Peter was 'more sinned against than sinning' but sometimes there's no point in finding fault. No Australian should be left dependent on a poor Cambodian family who can barely afford their own daily needs. I could not have lived as Peter did these past years: living in a 'slum' house that flooded regularly, surviving on two meals a day, being socially isolated without an understanding of the local language, not having any access to medical treatment, dealing with challenges such as rats biting my toes through the mosquito net at night...

There were a number of issues in helping Peter to get back to Brisbane, including the fact that this is not his first repatriation(!!!) Through this process I've learned a bit more about being an advocate: being persistent in contacting people who could help and, at the same time, exploring 'unofficial channels' so that those who had power to assist knew that I was willing to explore Plan B if Plan A was denied! I've learned more about being an amateur social worker and considering a person's needs holistically. I've discovered that our capacity for patience, grace and generosity can be stretched when needed. (But I still had a couple of moments when Peter was yelling and swearing at me and I.... err... screamed right back!) 

Anyway, a small success. Last week we were able to secure an emergency passport, visa and air ticket. The Cambodian Immigration showed compassion and agreed to drop the visa overstay charge of $4000. The Australian Embassy called today to check that Peter had arrived in Australia and I was able to confirm that, yes, he is back in Brisbane.