Dixtan came to Australia in 2019 searching for safety, but instead he was locked away. Behind barbed wire and concrete walls, he spent more than half a decade of his young life deprived of freedom, while his mother, Reeta, was left outside — powerless to bring him home.

During those years, Reeta was granted a permanent visa and is now an Australian citizen. But what use is protection when your only child remains imprisoned? She was forced to live two lives: one of survival on the outside, and one of grief and waiting at detention gates, allowed to see her son only once or twice a week.

When Dixtan was finally released in January 2025, the pain did not end. Freedom without permanency is fragile — the threat of deportation and the shadow of fear loomed over every moment.

But Reeta never gave up. With the Tamil Refugee Council, she marched into Canberra, carrying the voices of thousands. Together, they handed over 27,500 signatures from across the country demanding Dixtan’s freedom, delivered to Andrew Charlton MP, Julian Hill MP, and Senator Nick McKim. She stood before the government and spoke with a mother’s unbreakable courage, refusing to be silent while her son languished.

She joined the 100-day continuous protest for permanent visas in Punchbowl, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with refugees who had been abandoned for over a decade. She made her son’s struggle the struggle of all refugees — and in return, thousands stood with her.

The images capture that journey of resistance — the rallies, protests, and tireless advocacy that kept Dixtan’s fight alive. They show the power of collective action: a mother’s persistence, a community’s solidarity, and the relentless pressure that finally brought justice.

And today, we can finally say: Dixtan has been granted a permanent visa.

This victory was born out of love, persistence, and community — and it would not have been possible without the tireless work of Carina Ford Lawyers, who fought every step of the way to secure Dixtan’s future.

But Reeta’s words remind us that our work is not finished:

“This is not the end. We will keep fighting till every refugee is free and till every refugee is provided permanent protection.”
Her promise is our promise. We will not stop until no family is separated, no child grows up behind bars, and every refugee has the right to call Australia home with dignity and security.