Off the Beaten Path Sydney (Part 2)

So, I was known as an Unlawful Non-citizen for about 24 hours in Sydney. I don't have the rights to be in Australia the moment I canceled my own Visa. You hear me right, I CANCELED my own Visa. They kind of "force" you to sign these papers voluntarily. I could choose not to sign anything but I'm sick of the waiting game as there was no way they would grant me entry already.

After almost 5 hours of interrogation, I was prepared to be deported. Standard procedure, I was fed. It's their job to keep me healthy and safe. They even told me to contact anyone I wanted to. I called up my girlfriend and mom, telling them I couldn't get into Australia and will be deported soon. Called up my host in Sydney and Melbourne telling them, Australia don't WELCOME me.

Nonetheless, I was well treated, at least like a human. I'm sure in some countries, where the people in the same condition as I was, wasn't treated fairly. Touchdown at 10am, finished interrogation at 3pm. Sitting there, waiting for my flight home, the only question in my head was, WHERE TO GO NEXT?

Not even a single SIGH. When situations are not in your favor, think of SOLUTIONS. Since I had no idea how long I would be "hold up" for, I tried to take a nap by sleeping on the floor as I was exhausted. One of the officer came in and asked if I want to go to another room with bed and of course I want a BED. Just a simple room with two beds, each across diagonal corner.

Luckily, I was given back my phone (I asked for it). Wasting time playing game, listening to songs and radio, I managed to shed off the longest 3 hours in my L.I.F.E. It was almost 6pm when this officer came in and told me that I would be sent to the detention centre as there were no flights available to send me back home.

Packed all my stuff and followed the other two officers out of the Immigration office to the arrival hall. They were really keeping an eye on me, scared I would ran off I suppose. We went through a "NO ENTRY" door. Wow! How often can you go through a door like that in the airport?
That was definitely my first time.

Following an alleyway, brightly lit, we reached another hold up room. At first, I thought that was the detention centre, a real small one but I was wrong. Being offered FOOD!, I denied as I didn't have the appetite yet but it looked good, curry beef with rice. Water was essential, so I asked for it a lot of time, being offered kindly too. No MISTREATING beyond this. Everyone was sociable and hospitable.

Apparently, the department handling me by now was outsourced to a private company. No wonder the different treatment as I was their "client". I waited for another 2 hours in the room while watching movie, Bourne Ultimatum, yes, there was a TV in the room. Two more detainees came in and they were from Penang, Malaysia.

As we were talking, I found out they came to Australia seeking for job and to work illegally. One of them knew that the Immigration would check on the phone and deleted his chat history but not too clever he was as the Immigration could recover those deleted messages. All I could say was, BRILLIANT, just like in the movies.

About 8pm, they began to transfer us to the detention centre. We were ushered to a van and they told us the journey was about an hour. In my head was, not that bad, I get to see Sydney after all. Roughly 45 minutes later, we arrived at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.

Again I was SURPRISED. The perimeter didn't look like how I imagined, high wall and barbed wire but only wire fences and organised buildings just like a normal neighborhood, clean and tidy too. I can't wait to meet the other detainees in it. I was sure they had stories to share. Normal procedures were done again, body check and metal scan.

As I expected, there were more Malaysians who were detained there. In total, there were 7 of us from the same flight. There were also a couple from China, 2 koreans, an American (I was surprised myself) and a Belgian. All of them had their stories to tell and the curious me, made FRIENDS everywhere. These were the numbers for that day I guessed.

I was allowed to go to the sleeping area after more paper signing. They gave me a big plastic bag with linens and a toiletries bag. When I reached the sleeping area, I was AMAZED. It was like a hostel, room for four person (double-decker), LCD TV with DVD, fridge with FOOD! stocked (microwavable FOOD!, milk, bread, juices), microwave, hot/cold shower with BATHTUB, unlimited coffee/tea, except it was all for FREE.

Since I was starving, I had a feast, lamb curry, beef pasta, chicken drumstick and of course ice-cream for dessert. The other detainees did the same too. We were literally having a FEAST. No one was feeling miserable. Everyone was in the mood, CAREFREE. You can't take away anything from a person who has lost everything. We all felt that and enjoyed L.I.F.E. because of that.

All the Malaysians were told that there would be a flight out tomorrow morning. We were glad to leave the country at that time. It was also the first time I felt happy going back to Malaysia. When I was in the Philippines, I felt reluctant to leave the country, my second home but that moment, I really wished to be back home, to Malaysia.

We all shared our stories. It was interesting listening to people sharing different kind of view. That didn't keep me up for long as I was too exhausted from everything. I went to take a short nap and the next thing I knew, it was time to go home.

The 7 of us were brought to the airport around 8am. The sunrise above Sydney city was majestic. I made a promise to myself that I'll be back to capture that. It's a beautiful city, I told myself. The journey took us longer this time due to the traffic condition. We reached airport at 9am and prepared to go on board.

Our flight out is at 1130am. We took the same flight with the flight attendants from the flight we arrived. How IRONIC watching them again, but this time, different destination. Our passports were given to the captain and to be given back to us upon reaching Malaysia.

Another 8 hours and HOME, that was all in my head. I slept through the whole flight. When the plane touchdown, there was a slight relieve in my heart. I took out my phone and contact my LOVED one. Before I got down the plane, I thought the airline would charge me for the flight back but it didn't.

In my head, I was thinking, I just went to Sydney for a day tour for FREE, everything inclusive. Who else would have been so CRAZY to do all these. I LAUGHED to myself. Now that's what I call,
OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN SYDNEY.

p/s. Don't take any offence if you are offended. It's L.I.F.E.

Off the Beaten Path Sydney (Part 1)

When I mentioned I was going for an adventure, I really mean it. But little did I know the adventure will be just ONE day. The travel was supposed to be 6 months (3 months Australia, 3 months New Zealand) and then head home. 

Here is how it began. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney is about 8hours. My flight was at 2340 and scheduled to reach Sydney at 0945. I couldn't get much sleep on the plane as I was excited for the long awaited adventure ahead. I booked this flight literally more than a year ago when I decided to quit my job and it costed me RM275 without baggage of course.

About 8 hours later, I touchdown Sydney. Real excited I was. I can't wait to see Sydney and Australia. When I reached the Immigration checkpoint, handed over my passport, waited for the officer to clear me through, he just shouted out "another one" and passed my passport to another officer behind him and asked me to follow the officer with my passport. 

I guessed it must be a random check on Malaysian passport holder as Malaysians are well known in Australia for overstaying and illegal working. I was much obliged to follow the officer for further questioning. So, the whole conversation began with officer B. 

He asked for my purpose to visit Australia and did I have any intention of working there. I answered I was traveling at the moment and also visiting my friends with no intention to work as I was traveling with a tourist visa. Normal procedures I guessed. Next questions were, did I have enough money, return ticket, place to stay, had a job. I answered all these questions in hope to finish the conversation as fast as possible. I showed him my money (about 2500AUD), my ticket to New Zealand from Melbourne, my friend's address (a couchsurfer) and my still valid working visa from the Philippines in my passport. 

Normally, it's sufficient to get through the Immigration but this officer was professional maybe STEREOTYPE? He continued to ask me if I had the intention to work in Australia again and of course my answer was NO. And then he asked for my phone as my itinerary was in it and proceeded into the office. I waited for about 30 minutes when he came out again and asked me to follow him into the office. 

I was brought into this room, Interview Room. More of an Interrogation Room I suppose. He went out and came back with a question, "I think you don't understand me, do you need an interpreter?" I sensed something went wrong at that moment and I did find that question INSULTING even though he tried to be sarcastic as I had been talking with him for almost an hour in English. I told him I didn't need an interpreter as English is my main language. He went out and came back with a stack of paper and a recorder. 

Before starting the interview, he switched on the recorder and proceeded with the procedure with asking my details. So, he asked again if I planned to work in Australia or not. Answering him again, I said no. He predicted I would say so and handed over the stack of paper for me to see. I knew the moment what those papers were when he brought in, my conversation histories in my phone. All clearly stating, I had the INTENTION to work and travel in Australia. 

Caught red handed, I had no choice at that time. I just told him, "NO COMMENT". To put things clear, I do had the intention to work and travel and also helping (Helpx) while traveling too. Obviously, I had no idea that even helping is a NO NO in Australia. Apparently, under section 116(b)(i) of the Migration Act 1958, business activity does not include an activity that is, or includes, undertaking work for, or supplying services to, an organisation or other person based in Australia. I guess helping is supplying services in this case. 

In short, I understand that they don't need TRAVELERS like me but only TOURISTS. They need people to spend lots of money in Australia which I wasn't prepared to. I was supposed to help someone in exchange for food and accommodation and that was against the law. An intention was enough to prove me guilty here. So, they asked me to sign some papers (Notice of Intention to Consider Cancelling a Visa) to which I was much obliged to as I had nothing to defend myself anymore.

All I know was that they had the intention to DENIED me entry into Australia in the beginning. If they didn't had the intention, they wouldn't investigate so thoroughly. I presented to them all the valid documents needed to get through Immigration just like everybody else and I mean people from other countries. They hold me up just because I'm a Malaysian or Asian, I had no idea. To call them STEREOTYPE or not, I had no idea too. They were just doing their job I supposed. 

I shall continue with Part 2 in another article where I got detained and sent to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.

p/s. Don't take any offence if you are offended. It's L.I.F.E.