Death of Nepali man sleeping rough in Sydney shines light on homelessness crisis | 7.30

Added: 2026-06-10

[00:00:18]Vikram there for days while life moved all around him and yet he was completely invisible. Tonight we remember him. A young man who came here with hope for study, for opportunity, and for a future.

[00:00:46]>> Every day, my team and colleagues who care for people sleeping rough meet people just like Bickrim, doing everything they can to survive in a system that offers them almost nothing.

[00:01:09]Every time I feel so bad when I walk pass through here, I feel like it could have been me.

[00:01:17]I feel so scared about these things.

[00:01:24]I'm from Bangladesh. Yeah, I have family back home. I haven't told them like I become homeless for last couple of months.

[00:01:38]My dad, my mom, if I kill them, I will be the reason for their death. You know, they will not accept this one.

[00:01:47]This is for >> I came in Australia as an international student.

[00:01:54]>> Almost 75 to 80k I already spend for my study.

[00:02:02]I tried to apply so many jobs in my field but I didn't get opportunity.

[00:02:12]I tried so many organization to give me crisis accommodation.

[00:02:17]They at first they will say do you have handling link then we can help you out otherwise you have to be in a big queue and no one knows when the queue will come.

[00:02:44]So here at the Talbert, we've got 56 beds. So accommodates 56 single men.

[00:02:49]This is a standard room that we've got here at the Talbert. As you can see, uh smalish room. Um and most of the guys here make it make it their own.

[00:02:58]>> Most of the men that stay here, they're on Centerlink. Majority of the men. Um and they would pay their accommodation fees through Centerlink. For a non-resident, they're not eligible for Centerlink. So we would give them emergency accommodation, which would be 3 months free accommodation. Um, and our case workers would individually work with those guys to try and get them some form of income to be able to pay for accommodation site.

[00:03:21]No potato.

[00:03:24]Thank you. There you go, buddy.

[00:03:25]>> Thanks, mate.

[00:03:26]>> It's all right. A big proportion of the guys that we now see even in our outreach programs or in our accommodation services here are trying to complete a university degree, for example, international students. It's definitely a a group that is increasing significantly in the homeless community.

[00:03:42]A big exit option for most of the guys staying here is social housing.

[00:03:46]Non-residents don't have that opportunity. Our hands are tied in terms of what we can provide as a service due to a lack of income for that individual and they will find themselves entrenched in homelessness every time.

[00:04:12]I was uh 23 when I got sorted into this arranged marriage with a Nepese guy who was Australian and there was too much pressure for me and I I had to say okay within the first two weeks of the marriage. Kay was already abusive.

[00:04:38]Then after my daughter was born, he said, "I will divorce you. I'll cancel your visa. I will send you back to Nepal.

[00:04:47]Your job is done. You've given birth.

[00:04:49]You go back to Nepal. Leave the baby here.

[00:05:07]Since my ex-husband is Australian citizen, so my daughter is also Australian citizen.

[00:05:16]I can't go home back to Nepal because if I wanted to go, I would have to abandon my child.

[00:05:25]So if I wasn't in the refuge, I'll probably be sleeping rough.

[00:05:31]People look over people like Bikram or me because we kind of become taboos to the society.

[00:05:43]It's so sad that people aren't treated as human just because of the immigration status.

[00:05:53]>> There certainly needs to be help given because otherwise we will see more pikrams. We will see more people die rough sleeping.

[00:06:01]>> No one should die alone and no one should die because they're homeless.

[00:06:08]She goes out to the man on the street.

[00:06:14]Sir, can you help me?

[00:06:18]It's cold and I know where to sleep.

[00:06:23]Is there some way you can tell me?

[00:06:27]He will talk, doesn't look bad.

[00:06:32]He pretends he can't hear her.

[00:06:36]It's another day for you and me in paradise.

[00:06:44]A day for the man. Thank you very much.