Police believe his body lay without detection for up to a week after his death. Bikram Lama came to Australia in 2013 to study computer science from a remote village in Nepal. His student visa expired and he failed to renew his Nepalese passport in 2023. Non-residents with lapsed visas cannot legally work, access crisis accommodation, social housing, healthcare, or Centrelink in Australia.
Bikram Lama had been identified by an outreach team and referred to an inner-city non-resident's homelessness support group run by St Vincent's Homelessness Health & City of Sydney Council. According to Daily Mail - News, Erin Longbottom described him as someone who fell through all the cracks and was obviously scared without support. The Department of Home Affairs provides targeted support to bridging visa holders awaiting protection visa outcomes and helps non-citizens experiencing hardship resolve migration status. Non-citizens who have exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia are expected to depart voluntarily.
He was just somebody who fell through all the cracks, and was obviously scared and didn't have any support.
New South Wales housing and homelessness minister Rose Jackson acknowledged gaps in support for non-residents and is committed to working with advocates and the commonwealth government on solutions. Federal and state housing ministers described Bikram Lama's death as 'beyond tragic' and say it reinforces the need to stop vulnerable rough sleepers from falling through the cracks. Australian Greens Senator Barbara Pocock called for more government intervention, including direct and increased funding in public housing and robust homelessness support services.
The exact cause of Bikram Lama's death has not been confirmed, nor have the specific support interventions he received before his death. It remains unclear how many non-residents with lapsed visas are currently homeless in Sydney.
It's like he's an invisible person and that's just completely devastating.