THEIR voices often go unheard, but the mistreatment of refugees in Australia is a message being publicly pedaled to the nation's capital.
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"Riding for Refugees" - a 700km journey from Swan Hill to Canberra - rolled into Wagga on Saturday and was met by about 40 supporters for a Civic Centre welcome.
Afghani asylum seeker Rohullah Hussaini is due to arrive in Canberra for the first day of federal parliament's spring sitting tomorrow - armed with a petition that has gathered signatures along the way.
Having spent much of his life trying to survive, Mr Hussaini will meet with senators and has sought an audience with minister for immigration Scott Morrison as part of his fight for a fair go.
"It (the ride) is not actually for myself, I'm doing it for all refugees ... we are human too," Mr Hussaini said.
"A lot of refugees are living together because they can't get a house ... they're not allowed to study, they're not allowed to have a job."
Mr Hussaini arrived in Australia in August 2012 after spending 14 days and 14 nights at sea in a leaky fishing boat - with just a bottle of water and a small biscuit every 24 hours.
He made it just before the federal government cracked down on illegal refugee arrivals.
Four months ago his case to stay in Australia was rejected by the immigration office and he was told, because there are a lot of Hazara people living in Afghanistan, it was safe for him to return.
"(If) Afghanistan is safe, why don't you have an (Australian) embassy there?" he said.
Swan Hill deputy mayor Michael Adamson has supported Mr Hussaini's fight.
"I think we need to have a better approach to this whole issue of asylum seekers and the way we treat them," Councillor Adamson said.
"People like Rohullah; his life is threatened in his own country, so he's looking for a better life somewhere else."
Councillor Adamson works in a welfare-based organisation that has a settlement program for refugees in Swan Hill.
"We see the difficulties, the trauma they (asylum seekers) go through, the pain and suffering," he said.
"They've already been through that coming to Australia and they're continuing to go through it because of the legislation and the way we treat them here.
THE arms of the West Wagga-San Isidore Refugee Committee were wide open at the weekend as they welcomed a quest for answers to an issue close to their hearts.
The committee's Joan Saboisky said many Hazara people in Wagga found themselves in the same situation as Rohullah.
"It's quite distressing for them (and) it's distressing for us who have them as friends," Mrs Saboisky said.
"We're dismayed and really concerned about the direction of government policy for treatment of asylum seekers and refugees."
The committee recently garnered 730 signatures on their own petition pushing for more humane treatment "for people who simply want to live in safety and with opportunities for life that most of us take for granted".
Mr Hussaini and Swan Hill deputy mayor Michael Adamson were given an escort into the city by Wagga cyclists, before being publicly welcomed by Wagga City Councillor Kevin Poynter.