From personal experience of the Australian immigration system they can
be accommodating. My cousin has cerebral palsy and applied with his
parents to emigrate from the UK to Australia. He had to have a medical
and they consented to let them into the country, they later all became
citizens. The main idea behind their immigration is what can the people
entering their country offer them. I understand this can be seen as
unfair but the government is trying ensure they only grant entry to
people who can offer them something. If you are disabled but do not
pose a drain on the economy (i.e. needing care from the state due to not
having a job/health insurance) then you should be granted entry, the
same as any other immigrant. If you were not disabled and asked to
enter the country but had no skills that could be useful to the country
then your application would also be declined. They are judging disabled
people on the same criteria - Skills on offer/future potential.
In the case of the Canadian people with their daughter who had mental
disabilities it is appalling that they were turned away when they
arrived at the country after their application was already accepted.
However the original refusal was most probably on the grounds that if
something happened to the parents who would care for the child? She
would need a higher level of care than other children which would cost
more. All immigration policies are about money - who can offer the
country the most and improve the economic standing of the country.
I know it sounds harsh but governments of other countries can not be
held accountable for children that originate for other countries and
their educational opportunities. If all countries with established
education systems let in children on the basis they would not receive an
education in their home country their own education system would decline
from overcrowding and the education in the home countries would never be
improved. The countries with poor education need to be encouraged and
invested in, that is the long term solution.
Casey
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Margaret
Camilleri
Sent: 14 August 2008 05:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Canada 'refuses entry to disabled girl'
Not only in Canada: Australia's migration legislation overrides the DDA,
which means that anyone can be refused entry on the basis that their
impairment would be a 'drain' on the health system. There have be many
families, who arrived on work visa for parent, who have been forced to
go back to country of origin despite the family having lived in this
country and despite presenting evidence that their child would not
receive an education in their country of origin.
Marg
>>> Bertha Mo <[log in to unmask]> 14/08/2008 2:09 am >>>
This news is quite timely. The Chinese-Canadian fencing coach and
Olympian (sorry, I can't remember her name), said that she moved to
Canada because she has three children (very difficult considering
China's one child policy) because her older daughter who has Downs
Syndrome would benefit from Canada's health care system.
Best,
Bertie
--- On Wed, 8/13/08, Dawna Lee Rumball <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Dawna Lee Rumball <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Canada 'refuses entry to disabled girl'
To: [log in to unmask]
Received: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 3:50 PM
Unfortunately this story is that the family was prevented from
entering because of a disability. Due to Canada's universal health
care system, immigrants with disabilities are considered a liability
and a possible "drain on the system" since the system is already
"overburdened" with Canadian citizens with disabilities. That is not
the "official" statement, but the general understanding why Canada
Immigration may have reacted this way. The work permit excuse is just
that, an excuse to cover up the truth.
This has not received much attention in the media, as this was all I
could find via Google.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1069617.html
http://www.thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-08-07-152441.113118-p19974.113118
_Border_inaccessible_to_disabled.html
(pay extra attention to the cartoon accompanying the article)
Just a thought, I am sure Canada isn't alone in not being so "free and
easy" per immigrants with disabilities. There's been cases in the
past few years where USA and Australia, and dare I say England, have
the same sort of immigration policies for people with disabilities,
including AIDS/HIV.
Come to think of it, this topic of immigration to Canada and
disability might be an timely topic of presentation at the CDSA-ACEI
conference next year! :-)
--
************************************************************************
********
Dawna Lee Rumball, PhD Student
Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6T 1Z4
Email: [log in to unmask]
Canadian Disability Studies Association, President-Elect (2008-2009)
Web-site: http://www.cdsa-acei.ca/
************************************************************************
********
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