South African couple told to leave Australia as government readies return of nationals from Syrian camps

A Sydney couple who say they fear returning to South Africa have been told they must leave Australia when their bridging visa expires on Sept. 22, even as federal agencies prepare to repatriate Australians from Syrian refugee camps.

Charné‑Lee Gunning, 31, and her husband Ivan Strauss, 37, who have lived in the Sydney area for seven years, arrived as visitors in December 2018, applied for protection visas in early 2019 and had that claim refused later that year. The couple appealed the decision; their appeal was heard in July and was subsequently refused, leaving them with a requirement to depart when their current bridging visa runs out next week.

The pair told a Sydney radio program they had spent more than A$25,000 on legal fees and felt earlier legal advisers were not fully engaged after the appeal was denied. Strauss works as an air‑conditioning technician and the company that employs him has been described as "desperately trying to keep him" because of demand for his skills. The couple said they had tried to lodge applications for a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa but were told they could not lodge that application onshore.

Gunning told broadcaster Ben Fordham on 2GB she was "terrified" of going back to South Africa, saying both she and Strauss have experienced violent incidents, including being forced off a road while riding a motorbike and a separate episode in which Strauss and his father were held at gunpoint. She said she and her husband had made friends in Australia and wanted to contribute to the community.

Fordham criticised the federal government on air, juxtaposing the Gunning‑Strauss case with recent reporting that a cohort of Australians reportedly described in media reports as "ISIS brides" and their children are expected to be brought home from Syrian camps before Christmas. The host said some listeners would find the different treatment hard to reconcile.

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Tony Burke defended departmental decision‑making, saying in a statement that "not everyone has a valid protection claim, some people should apply for other visas or regional skills. If you don't apply for a visa or if you don't get the visa you applied for then it's probably time to leave." Earlier this month a separate ministerial spokesperson said the federal government was "not providing assistance to this cohort" in Syria and that consular assistance there is "extremely limited due to the dangerous security situation," adding that intelligence and security agencies monitor threats to national security.

Media reports have said more than a dozen women and children and a small number of young men are expected to be evacuated from camps in northern Syria and returned to New South Wales and Victoria. Those reports said senior federal officials were assisting not‑for‑profit organisations working with the cohort and that state and federal agencies would provide support once arrivals were in Australia. Government authorities have not publicly provided operational details.

The Gunning‑Strauss case highlights tensions in Australia's immigration and protection system between refusals of individual protection claims and government efforts to repatriate citizens or nationals from conflict zones. Protection visa processes can include merits review and judicial appeal; decisions are based on whether applicants meet the statutory tests for refugee or complementary protection, and unsuccessful applicants are commonly advised to explore other visa pathways if they wish to remain.

The couple said they were pursuing other avenues and described the process as "stressful and complex." Daily Mail reported it had contacted the Home Office for comment.