Asif Ali Bangash was 22 when he left his home in Parachinar, a city in eastern Pakistan that shares a border with Afghanistan. As a minority Shia Muslim in that region, he said he faced the possibility of abduction and target killings every day, which contributed to his decision to take up the arduous journey to Australia by boat.
He was initially granted a bridging visa when he was released from the onshore detention centre in October 2012, though subsequent visa applications have been rejected as he didn't satisfy the provisions of the Migration Regulations 1994. He now plans to seek ministerial intervention in his case to avoid deportation. "I believe that it's not fair, as we are from the same place with the same situation. We all should have been granted protection visas," he said.