By Cam Lucadou-Wells
After months in painful exile from her son, Cambodian mother Channa can finally smile again.
Reunited in Springvale, she marvels how much 7-year-old Alex has grown since she last saw him in September.
Caught in a visa wrangle for three years, Channa and son Chhayly, 18, had been barred entry to Australia to see their ailing ex-partner and father Koung Hoy Poeung.
In the meantime, Alex, who is an Australian citizen, was allowed to fly in to see his gravely sick Hallam father in September.
In the end, Alex was by his father’s side as he died.
Channa and Chhayly were granted visitor visas by the Department of Home Affairs only just in time for Koung’s funeral this month.
Success only came after concerted lobbying including from a senior monk Venerable Sudhep Nan at Watt Buddharangsi temple in Springvale South.
In the final throes, Venerable Nan made a desperate request for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to intervene.
“It was very difficult to see that I could not come and see my partner,” Channa says.
“He was very sick and I couldn’t come to see him. Very sad … but still I had some hope.
Grateful for the abbott’s great efforts, Channa says it was important to see her late partner’s face before he was put to rest.
“I’m just very happy having that opportunity to see my partner for the last time and my son Alex.”
The frustrating saga spanned three visa rejections by Department of Home Affairs officials since 2019, as well as a failed tribunal appeal.
The authorities seemed unconvinced that Channa and Chhayly were making a “genuine, temporary visit”.
Chhayly said he felt “disappointed” while his visa was in limbo. But when he finally got the good news, he was elated.
“It’s the first time we’ve been in Australia. When I saw Alex again, I was so excited.”
