My name is Saif. I have lived a very hard life in Iraq for fourteen years. My father is a teacher, he works very hard. He teaches at one school in the morning and takes a second job in the afternoon teaching other students. My family chose to escape hardship and search for a better life in Australia. We sold all that we owned in Iraq and I travelled with my mother and sister to Jordan. We travelled for four days to prepare for an illegal trip to Australia. We were caught by police in Indonesia and were sent back to Jordan. We were kept imprisoned for one month.

After our release, we told our story to the Australian Embassy in Jordan and after a two year wait my mother, sister and myself were able to legally enter Australia. My father still waits in Jordan for the Australian embassy to grant him a visa to travel here to be with us.