After a decade in visa limbo, separated from his children as they grew from toddlers to teens, Afghan refugee Abdullah Shahabi is hopeful his situation is about to change.
"I am hopeful that the new Australian government makes us permanent," Mr Shahabi said.
"But I have been hoping for 10 years now, so our hope has become very thin.
"I am hopeful now but also anxious."
Mr Shahabi is among around 4,000 Afghan refugees who have been on temporary visas for about 10 years due to a policy that denies permanent residency to asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
Overall, more than 15,000 people of various nationalities are on temporary protection visas (TPVs) in Australia.
Mr Shahabi was among a group of refugees and advocates who gathered in the Perth CBD on Monday on World Refugee Day to call on the federal government to put an urgent end to TPVs.
"I want to say [to] the Immigration Minister [Andrew Giles], please give us permanent [visas]," Mr Shahabi said.
"We lost everything … but if they give us permanent [residency] right now, we can live our life again."
Call for new government to act
Refugees on TPVs cannot take out bank loans or arrange for their immediate families to join them in Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said before the recent election that he was opposed to TPVs.
His stance is in contrast with the previous Liberal government policy that "people who travel illegally to Australia by boat will not permanently settle in Australia".
Although the new Labor government has indicated it will take a different approach, advocates say it should be done without delay.
Caroline Fleay, the co-director of the Centre for Human Rights Education at Curtin University, was among those calling on the federal government to act now.
"It needs to happen quickly because people have been here for a decade or more waiting to be reunited with their families," Dr Fleay said.
'We want to know the time frames'
Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees general manager Alison Xamon said she was optimistic that change would occur but urged the government to reveal its plans.
"We are still waiting to see what the detail of that is going to look like," Ms Xamon said.
"We want to know the time frames.
She said it was ironic that some people on temporary visas were prevented from working when there were worker shortages in WA.
"We have got these people who are wanting to work, wanting to be able to contribute, wanting to be able to set up safe lives here," Ms Xamon said.
"And we are denying that for no reason other than cruelty."
ABC asked Immigration Minister Andrew Giles if refugees on temporary visas would be granted permanent residency.
