The delegation of four refugees from Sri Lanka and Iran are representing more than 8,000 people in Australia who’ve had visa claims rejected under a now-defunct system.

Narges Shaterian and her son Nooshad, as well as their other family members came to Australia in 2013 but say they have been trapped in a limbo by the now-defunct fast track asylum scheme. Source: SBS News / Tys Occhiuzzi

Narges Shaterian came to Australia with her husband and three children in 2013.

Rathy Barthlote has been fighting for over a decade for permanent protection and dignity for people trapped in visa limbo. Source: SBS News / Tys Occhiuzzi

It argued the policy would clear the backlog of asylum claims, but critics such as Professor Daniel Ghezelbash from the University of New South Wales say the process was heavily restricting.

“I think this will go down as one of the biggest asylum policy failures that the Australian government has made.”

The government has committed to resolving the status of those subjected to the Fast Track system – many of them now remaining on short-term temporary visas.

The Coalition, which introduced the scheme, says it’s now in the process of reviewing its immigration policy.