The desperate search for freedom and safety does not always finish once refugees arrive in Australia.
For many, the struggle continues as they grapple with visa applications, family separation and the complex trauma of forced migration.
Artist Mariam Fattah arrived in Australia 10 years ago after fleeing persecution in Iraq but she does not yet feel fully free.
Her application for permanent protection is unresolved, the conditions on her temporary visa make overseas travel difficult and a family reunion appears unlikely.
"That’s why I am still not feeling freedom," she told AAP.
"Every day when I wake up and miss my family, of course it affects everything, and sometimes I just want to live in the past because I had a good time with my family."
Ms Fattah, who is 46 years old and lives in Sydney, said the last 10 years had been tough.
“It just affects everything because I feel like I am living in prison so I can't plan for my future," she said.
"It makes my future blurry and my family is not here, so I feel I am not getting freedom."
Many refugees flee countries where governments, military forces, community leaders or family members deprive them of freedom.
This can include the freedom of expression and association, as well as the ability to think and speak independently.
Chioma Peace Ike fled Nigeria for Australia only to face the daunting task of escaping an abusive relationship.
She was terrified about what it would mean for her temporary visa and found it hard to navigate the bureaucratic system.
But after putting the domestic violence behind her, the 44-year-old caught a glimpse of a brighter future as a single mother in Australia.
"I found freedom by looking for where I could express myself freely, where I didn't have to be under pressure or constraint or intimidated," she said.
"That is why I say that there is freedom in this place."
Ms Ike described it as a breath of fresh air.
“I know that I am experiencing freedom because I am far from where the abuser is," she said.
"In the past, I was a shadow of myself, I felt I might die at any point in time because the threat was too much."
Ms Ike reflected on the simple pleasure of getting a good night's sleep.
"Moving away was a huge relief because I was able to sleep that night - I slept very well with a belief that I could live a life to fulfilment," she said.
"Now I can see that I have prospects, plans and my strategies are working out."
The Sydney resident plans to return to university and find full-time work.
Ms Ike encouraged other women experiencing danger or violence to explore solutions and consider escaping to safety.
"The earlier you find freedom the faster you can move on with your life," she said.
The women reflected on their experience during Refugee Week 2023, which was themed on finding freedom.
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