Help Us Support the Haroon Family’s Fight for Residency

The Haroon family is facing an incredibly difficult and uncertain season—and while we may not be able to change government policies or navigate legal complexities ourselves, we can make a real and tangible difference.

This page was created to lighten a financial burden and help cover their ongoing legal fees, freeing Adeel and Wiraj to focus on what matters most: raising their three young children and continuing their fight for Australian residency and security.

The Haroon’s are currently seeking to appeal a denied application for protection visas, with the hope of finally securing permanent residency in Australia. To make this possible, we’re aiming to raise $15,510, which will go directly toward legal costs.

The Haroon’s Story:

The Haroon's are a well-loved and cherished family who contribute in various ways to the multiple communities they are a part of. Adeel drives buses for Brisbane City Council, and Wiraj works at a childcare centre. Despite the limitations of their visa, they continue to volunteer in their local church and school community, generously offering their time, care, and energy to others. They’re also parents to three beautiful children—Elijah (8), Elisha (5), and Hazel (4).

After moving from Pakistan to Brisbane in 2012, the Haroon’s’ journey has been marked by challenge and courage. When Adeel returned briefly to Pakistan to visit his sick mother, he faced significant religious persecution. After this traumatic experience in 2013, they applied for protection in Australia, which was unfortunately denied.

Three years later, their first son, Elijah, was diagnosed with a rare and complex heart condition: Pulmonary Atresia with a Ventricular Septal Defect (PA-VSD). This condition required Elijah to undergo three major surgeries before he turned four, and it is expected that Elijah will require additional conduit replacements at various points of his continuous growth.

Despite Elijah’s condition, the family’s application for medical protection was also refused in 2017. Later in 2021, the Haroon’s applied for a protection Visa for their girls, Hazel and Elisha, given the risk of persecution for Christian females in Pakistan. This application was the third to be denied.

Currently, the Haroon’s are on a restrictive Class E bridging visa, which requires them to reapply for residency in Australia every 3 months, an extremely frustrating and daunting process for their family. Additionally, Class E is quite limiting, providing no access to Centrelink, study options, or Medicare. This is leaves them particularly vulnerable given Elijah’s ongoing medical challenges.

How You Can Help:

We believe that no family should have to fight this hard for security and safety, and we want to stand beside the Haroon’s in this season of uncertainty. By contributing to this fundraiser, you are helping a family who has given so much and who ask for so little.

Your contribution will help fund the appeal against the most recent denial for residency. They have engaged an experienced Immigration lawyer who believes they have a strong case. A successful appeal would be a significant step towards permanent residency for the Haroon’s.

Thank you for giving what you can and for contributing to the restoration of security and safety for the Haroon family.

Friends of the Haroon’s