Although Dr Fadi Gharbieh is physically in Australia, he said mentally and emotionally he was still in Gaza, an area he left around seven months ago.
“I don’t just remember my life in Gaza; I’m still living there,” Gharbieh, 47, said.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m daydreaming now. I open my closet to grab a t-shirt or a pair of pants then I realise that they are still in Gaza.”
A dermatologist by profession, he said he, his wife Dina and his son Mousa lived a relatively “good life” in Gaza before the war.
“I had my own clinic with state-of-the-art medical equipment,” Gharbieh said.
The family used to live in the Al-Rimal district, which, before the war, was considered the most prosperous neighbourhood of Gaza.
“In the clinic, I did minor procedures and cosmetic treatments, such as injecting Botox and dermal fillers,” he said.
Along with thousands of others, the Gharbieh family’s life was turned upside down on 7 October 2023.
On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and over 200 hostages taken, according to the Israeli government.
In retaliation, Israel launched an assault on Gaza, resulting in a death toll of more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to a recent by the United Nations Human Rights Office.
The 7 October attack was a significant escalation in a long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In the first month of the war, the family had to abandon their house.
The war in Gaza has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Source: EPA / Haitham Imad
“We were sleeping in our house in the Al-Rimal district when they asked us to evacuate the area, so we moved to my wife’s family’s house in Al-Zawaida, in the southern part (of the) Gaza Strip,” Gharbieh said.
“Those were tense and fearful moments, as the situation in Gaza was rapidly deteriorating, and we had to find a safe shelter.”
“It was a very difficult time. We had no electricity, no internet, and no water. I was worried about my six-year-old son’s safety,” he added.
“We went from living at a certain social level to a situation where we did not have basics like eggs, bread and potatoes.”
And as the war intensified in Gaza, the family of three faced an even grimmer situation. Gharbieh said he feared for his son amid what seemed like continuously imminent danger.
“I wasn’t scared of death, but I was concerned about my child,” he said.
“I used to put my son on my lap then move him to other side (of me) because I didn’t know which part of the house might be struck by a missile.”
Gharbieh’s sister is an Australian citizen, which opened a door of hope for him and his family.
She applied for visitor visas for her brother and his family, and their applications were accepted.
As of 31 October 2024, 1,358 Palestinian nationals have arrived in Australia using visitor visas. The number may include individual travellers who made multiple entries during this period, the said.
The family reached safety in Australia in May this year, which Gharbieh said he was thankful for.
“I thank God that I am here, and my wife and son are safe. I am grateful to be here,” he said.
The situation in Gaza today is even worse than what we experienced when we were there.
Dr Fadi Gharbieh
But Gharbieh, who worked as a specialist in dermatology for almost 13 years, said he felt a sense of great loss.
“I feel sad that I cannot practise the job I love,” he said.
“I (put in) lots of effort and it was hard to study medicine. I studied in Syria then I did my specialisation and training in Egypt.”
Finding work is difficult
Hassan Mousa, CEO of the Arab Council Australia, said many migrants and refugees faced challenges in having their qualifications recognised and finding work in Australia, but those coming from Gaza faced even more difficulties.
“Many of them had to flee without documents that prove their qualifications, and most do not have permanent residency or the right to work legally in Australia,” Mousa said.
“Some of them also have (limited) English language skills, which makes the task even more difficult.”
The Arab Council Australia is currently working alongside 90 other organisations through the Activate Australia’s Skills “to improve the skills and qualifications recognition system in order to address the shortages crippling Australian communities, families and businesses”.
“At the moment, there is no special consideration for people coming from Gaza, and I raised this issue in a meeting with the Minister of Employment because we have a sense of responsibility towards those people who have lost everything,” Mousa said.
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt said the Albanese government “recognises the important contribution refugees have made, and continue to make, to Australia’s workforce”.
“In collaboration with state governments, employment services, social enterprises, non for profit organisations and other groups, we are committed to finding more ways to help refugees and new Australians engage, and find meaningful, dignified work,” he said.
“I was very pleased to hold jobs roundtables in Tasmania and Melbourne this week to hear from employment providers, community groups and all three levels of government on how we can better tailor jobs services to local regions.
“The roundtables were well attended, and advice received around assisting migrants and refugees to find work will be fed into a Local Jobs Pilot in Melbourne which is now underway, and will help to inform future investment and reform in the employment space.”
Around 30 organisations participated in a job fair held by the council for arrivals from Gaza in September this year, and 350 people attended the event.
“The attendees represented 70-80 per cent of adult arrivals from Gaza in Sydney,” Mousa said.
“We were surprised by the qualifications and skills of the attendees, and those are wasted skills that Australia is losing by not giving them opportunities to work.”
Gharbieh has begun studying medicine to become a general practitioner, and despite all the difficulties, he said he had high hopes of soon being able to practise medicine in Australia.
“We put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to build a decent life back in Gaza, but we’ve lost everything,” he said.
“After what had happened to us, I would be grateful for anything, no matter how small it is.”
Recent show that Australia is losing $9 billion of additional economic activity each year “because migrants work below their level of skills and qualifications at a higher rate than Australian-born workers”.
“There are jobs available, and there are people qualified to fill those jobs, so we need to speed up the qualifications recognition process and make it smoother and more flexible,” Mousa said.
“It is in the best interests of everyone: Australia, migrants and the labour market.”
Mousa said she believed that “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”.
“It takes time to get qualifications recognised, so it’s better for new arrivals to use this time well.
“They can learn English and look for a job that is relevant to their skills even if it is not the same job they used to do before. For example, a doctor can look for a job in a health-related sector.”
Gharbieh has a casual job in a speech therapy clinic now and said he was content to make some money and gain work experience.
“I respect the laws here and how they make sure that doctors have work experience here in Australia,” he said.
“There are differences in medical ethics and I’m learning them now. Australia is unique in this regard. It’s not easy for me, but I’m trying to be understanding and I’m doing my best.”
Trauma and a sense of guilt
Despite how valuable safety is for the family of three, he said it came with a sense of guilt for escaping while loved ones remained stuck in war-torn Gaza.
“My uncle is still in Gaza and the situation is miserable. There’s no food. Even if they have money, there’s no food to buy,” he said.
“When I eat here, I feel guilty.”