Dear All,
the inability for disabled people and people with a chronic illness to move
freely to other countries - whether to live or visit - has been going on for
too long and needs to be tackled. One only has to wander around Ellis Island
in the states to see how historically engrained this is. This is pretty
ironic when people, for example, President Kennedy with Addison's disease
would have been turned away had he arrived at Ellis Island. This form of
discrimination can take many forms from the obvious to the more subtle
expense of insurance schemes. It is often formed on the prejudice that
disabled people are more costly - when often this is not the case - and cost
in terms of human difference should not be based on taxpayer economic
arguments.
Glenn.
-----Original Message-----
From: Minae Inahara [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 05 April 2001 04:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Australian Immigration Rejects Family as daughter has
disability -Father sets himself alight
Dear Frank and all,
I have been feeling down since I heard this news from another mailing
list.
I know that immigration issues are very complex. Whenever I have to do
some paper work for a student visa, i have a fear of being rejected. I
am an overseas student at the University of Newcastle, in Australia. I
would love to share my personal story in regarding to immigration
issue.
I have cerebral palsy (speech difficulty). My dream from childhood was
to study in other countries. I first came to Australia (Sydney) in 1992
in order to look for a place to study. Then, I came again to Newcastle
to do my English language course for 6 months in 1993, then went back to
Japan for holiday. However, when i applied for a student visa for 3
years (my BA), I had a huge problem. (I almost gave up on my dream.)
When we apply for a student visa, we all have to do medical examinations
in our own countries. I went to the hospital in Osaka which Australian
embassy selected at the time. However, the doctor did a wrong diagnose
to my cerebral palsy. He wrote 'left-side paralysed'. Well...
honestly, I am left-handed. (Of course, I could not see the medical
document there.) Then a few week later, the embassy sent a letter to me
saying my application was rejected due to my health condition. I asked
them details for it. Then, they showed me the medical report from a
Japanese doctor. They recommended to see another doctor in Kobe, and
she wrote a letter to embassy officer. Then finally the embassy and
health department replied to me and asked my parents to take video on
me. Also, Newcastle university supported me a lot. (I do understand
my case was very difficult because I was planning to live without family
supports.)
It was terrible for my family and me to face this situation. I
realized that what the authority could do for me... it could destroy my
dream and life.
I wonder why... this little girl cannot be with her family...
Also, I think this kind of issues is all over the world. I love
travelling alone, even though i have many difficulties. Last December,
I visited my best friend in England (from this mailing list). Heathrow
was too big. Anyway, when i went through the immigration (custom) at
the airport, the officer asked me a personal question about my
disability. and why I was travelling alone. Gee... give me a break! I
was so lucky, because my friend picked up me at Heathrow. (Thank you,
michael...)
Just a thought,
Thank you
Minae Inahara
Frank Hall-Bentick wrote:
>
> Friends & Colleagues,
>
> Please register your disgust at this discrimatary Policy by Australia
> Immigration Officials that has led to this tragic outcome.
>
> Also please circulate to other lists.
>
> Phillip RuddockMinister for Immigration
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> or http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/general/contacts.htm
>
> Senator Meg Lees Democrats
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> Senator Chris Evans Opposition Spokesperson for Disability Services
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> Withholding hope from refugees
> Melbourne "Age" Editorial
>
> Thursday 5 April 2001
>
> In 1996 Shahraz Kayani from Pakistan was granted
> asylum in Australia.
> He was allowed to stay after the authorities assessing
> his case were
> satisfied that he fulfilled the provisions of the
> humanitarian program. But
> although Mr Kayani had been granted residency in a
> stable democracy,
> his troubles were far from over. His application for
> his wife and three
> children to join him under the program's "split
> family" provisions was
> denied because one of the children is disabled and it
> was deemed that she
> would place too great a burden on the taxpayer. The
> Commonwealth
> Ombudsman intervened and a new application was made
> last September
> but, on Monday, the wait had been too long and too
> painful for Mr
> Kayani. He went to Parliament House in Canberra,
> doused himself in
> accelerant and set himself alight. His burns are so
> severe that his chances
> of survival are considered to be slim but, even so,
> Immigration Minister
> Philip Ruddock has said that decisions in the Kayani
> case "are not going
> to be determined under duress".
>
> But what will make the government pay attention to the
> plight of the
> Kayanis? Five years is a significant proportion of a
> child's life, and too
> long for a father to wait to be reunited with his wife
> and children. It was
> reasonable for Mr Kayani to expect that if he was
> eligible for asylum in
> this country, his immediate family would be too. Many
> asylum seekers are
> driven by a desire to provide a better life for their
> children. Mr Kayani
> was in a more desperate situation than most because of
> his daughter's
> disability. According to the logic of the heart, such
> a situation calls for
> prompt and compassionate action, but immigration
> officials, implementing
> a policy driven chiefly by concern for the bottom
> line, decided that the
> disability meant that no more help would be extended
> to the Kayanis. This
> is cruel and discriminatory, reflects badly on
> Australia and has had a
> devastating effect on the Kayanis. Relatives of the
> Kayanis have now
> offered to pay for the disabled daughter's medical
> costs and are
> concerned that the family will be punished further
> because of Mr Kayani's
> action. "We did want to make clear that what happened
> to Mr Kayani
> was not done in a deliberate act of trying to create a
> problem," said Victor
> Rebikoff, a family representative.
>
> Australian officials have been so intent on
> discouraging asylum seekers
> from queue jumping that they have come to resemble
> those Dickensian
> villains who delight in punishing the needy and
> tormenting the vulnerable. A
> plastic surgeon has said that if Mr Kayani survives he
> will be "horribly,
> horribly scarred". The pity of it is that, if the
> government had dealt with his
> case swiftly and with compassion, his suffering could
> have been avoided.
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/news/2001/04/05/FFXAPIIY3LC.html
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/2001/04/05/FFXHHHIY3LC.html
>
> Thanks.
>
> Frank Hall-Bentick
> President
> Disability Australia Ltd
>
> ________________End of message______________________
>
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--------------------------------------------------------------
Minae Inahara
Ph.D. Candidate and Online tutor,
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
The University of Newcastle
Callaghan, NSW, 2308
Australia
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