“It’s Home”: SA Couple Fight to Stay in Australia, Claim Returning Would Be a Death Sentence

• A South African couple living in Western Sydney for six years are desperately fighting to stay in Australia
• Charné-Lee Gunning and Ivan Strauss fled South Africa in 2018 as visitors but now claim returning would be a "death sentence"
• The couple has appealed and will have only 35 days to leave Australia if their final application is rejected

A South African couple living in Western Sydney are fighting for their lives to stay in Australia after spending six years building a new home away from what they call a dangerous homeland. Charné-Lee Gunning, 31, and Ivan Strauss, 37, arrived in Australia in 2018 on visitor visas but have since applied for protection visas, claiming they would face a "death sentence" if forced to return to South Africa.

TikTok content creator @edlin1344 shared the couple's story on the first of August with the caption:

"South African couple facing 'death sentence' if Australian protection visas not approved."

Read also

“R100 is nothing now”: Mzansi people reflect on harsh reality of SA’s cost of living in a video

Their emotional plea has sparked heated debate about Australia's immigration policies and the reality of crime in South Africa.

Gunning and Strauss have experienced violence from a young age in South Africa. Gunning's father was shot in the head when she was just three years old, and she still keeps the blood-stained blanket that was used to cover his body. The couple also recall being forced off the road in an attack that left Ivan with a fractured foot, and Ivan remembers being held at gunpoint alongside his father.

"We feel at home here. We feel safe, and I can't begin to explain how grateful we are just for the few years we've had," Gunning said.

The couple say they're willing to move anywhere in Australia, even to the most remote areas, if it means they can stay.

Their initial application for protection visas was denied, but they have appealed the decision and are now waiting to hear from the Administrative Review Tribunal. If their appeal fails, they'll have just 35 days to leave Australia. However, legal experts suggest there could be other options, including applying for a 482 visa or seeking ministerial intervention.

Read also

“We’ve been crying": Young rich woman voices her concerns on Cape Town rental prices, SA reacts

Ivan works as an air conditioning technician, a skill that's in high demand in Australia, while Gunning is an estimating manager.

"We'll go wherever it is where our skills are needed," Gunning said.

Mzansi reacts to visa claims

South Africans had mixed reactions to the couple's claims about safety in their home country.

Rash De Oliveira wrote:

"Me watching from South Africa, confused."

Elisha🇿🇦 laughed off their claims:

"🤣🤣🤣 Nothing is happening in South Africa, crime just like in any other country... We are perfectly happy in our BEAUTIFUL LAND! 👍🏻❤️🇿🇦"

Melo the Great had a different view:

"Let them stay. For the sake of South Africans. Let them stay."

Veshlin Pillay questioned their story:

"Why did they keep the blanket? Why did they take the blood-stained blanket to Australia?"

Noeline Boet raised historical points:

"Many non white South Africans suffered in many ways as a result of living under a white military regime, and no country provided them safety or protection. You never heard their story."

Read also

"What's Going On": Video Showing Group Denying Hospital Entry to Alleged SA Citizen Causes a Stir

Cylungile called for honesty:

"Why can't people be just honest? 'We would like to stay in Australia because we love it here, we've had great career opportunities...' Instead of acting like you are hunted in South Africa🙄 Can't y'all just move on peacefully 😏"

Denis Coyne mentioned:

"My sister was sent home after 15 years in Australia. I would not hold my breath."

Watch the TikTok video below:

Other South Africans and foreigners in the news

• Briefly News recently reported on a SA man who crashed out over Nando's prices in Dubai, but the amount he paid for a full chicken left Mzansi speechless about overseas living costs.
• A US-based woman flaunted her KZN rural mansion on her return home, though the real reason behind her luxurious lifestyle abroad surprised many South Africans.
• A woman's Danish husband faced a R100K lobola demand from her mother, but her family's financial expectations took an unexpected turn that left SA stunned.

Read also

"It was the last straw for me": US woman shares why she moved to Cape Town with her sons

Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News