A woman who moved to Australia more than half a century ago never worried about having an Australian passport or citizenship – until now, when it could cost her her dream job.
Kathryn Brewin, 59, who has worked as a cleaner at Campbelltown Hospital for the past 21 years, wants to follow her love of cooking and run the Botany Docks canteen in Sydney’s south.
The aspiring cook’s potential new role requires her to obtain a maritime safety license, for which she needs to be an Australian citizen.
Brewin moved to Australia with her parents from England as a four-year-old in 1969 as one of thousands of “ten pound pom poms”.
Since then it has not left the shores of Australia.
Kathryn Brewin (pictured) wants to pursue her love of cooking after working as a hospital cleaner for more than two decades.
‘I came out with my parents’ passports when I was four. My father was an engineer, so we all flew. I’ve been here ever since,” he told him to a A current issue.
“When you’ve been here so long, you don’t think you’re anything but Australian.”
Even though the 59-year-old had always worked hard, paid taxes, voted and gotten her driver’s license, she was told that to apply for citizenship she needed a passport.
Brewin, who has not left Australia since her arrival, cannot obtain a passport because she is classified as a permanent resident.
He became emotional at the prospect of not being able to do his dream job.
‘Now I feel like I’m trapped. “I didn’t realize I couldn’t go anywhere until now,” he said.
‘And that’s a great understanding. I can’t really go anywhere and I don’t belong anywhere. I’m stuck now.’
Brewin has spent months trying to figure out what he can do to avoid losing his dream role, including contacting Home Affairs, his local MP and the UK embassy.
But she says she was told no one could help her.
Kathryn Brewin (pictured as a child) came to Australia when she was four and has never left the country since.
The aspiring cook has been trying to get help for months with her passport dilemma, including contacting Home Affairs and her local MP (file image)
“There has to be more than me going through this,” he said.
‘You have to recognize that you need some human contact. Not everything can be like that.’
Making the situation even more frustrating is the fact that Brewin purchased $15,000 worth of supplies for his new business, including trays, containers and cutlery.
“I wanted to do this and see if I could pursue my dream of serving and cooking good food and doing what I love,” he said.
‘I’m moving forward. Cleaning is a difficult game. Especially in a hospital.
He Department of the Interior He told the program that he does not comment on individual cases.
The department cited the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (the Act), which outlines what is required to apply for citizenship without a passport.
“Permanent residents who do not have a current or expired passport or other travel documents or who have not traveled in or out of Australia since July 1990 will need to use a paper form to apply for Australian citizenship,” he said.
According to A Current Affair, the department contacted Ms Brewin on Tuesday afternoon and “promised to fix the problem”.
Kathryn (pictured) hasn’t given up on landing her dream job