This is indeed a landmark victory, and I pray that this will not only
be possible for those residing in the global north, but also enable
global south citizens in the same situation be able to get this kind
of support.
Alluta continua with disability activism until all the discriminatory
policies are scrapped off.
Tsitsi
On 14/06/2012, Janice Ollerton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> That is great News, Thanks Frank
>
>
>> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:13:02 +1000
>> From: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Tears of joy as Australian Government intervenes to allow British
>> police officer Peter Threlfall into South Australia
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> Tears of joy as Federal Government intervenes to allow British police
>> officer Peter Threlfall into South Australia
>> * by: David Jean
>> * From: The Advertiser <http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/>
>> * June 13, 201211:00PM
>> http://tinyurl.com/73smbhm
>>
>>
>> London police sergeant Pete Threlfall with son Lukas, wife Yvonne and
>> stepdaughter Sarah, who is autistic. The family has been allowed to move
>> to
>> Australia. Source: Supplied
>> THE Immigration Minister has ordered his department to allow British
>> policeman Peter Threlfall and his family into Australia.
>> Chris Bowen's intervention followed revelations in The Advertiser
>> yesterday
>> <http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-police-recruit-denied
>> -entry/story-e6frea83-1226393535623> that the family had been denied
>> visas
>> because Mr Threlfall's 25-year-old step-daughter, Sarah, has autism.
>> Mr Threlfall last night likened the backflip to winning the lottery.
>> He said SA Police had told him his original job offer as a constable in
>> Ceduna would be honoured, and he hoped to be in Australia by September.
>> "This is unbelievable. I just can't get over it," Mr Threlfall said from
>> London.
>> "I knew it was achievable, it was just getting the right person to
>> overturn
>> this bad decision, but it was so hard to get to that person. My wife is
>> in
>> tears - we are so happy."
>> The Threlfalls were originally denied visas because an Immigration
>> Department medical officer deemed Sarah's condition would place a burden
>> on
>> health- care and community services in Australia.
>> This was despite the fact Sarah has two jobs and plans to study as a
>> hairdresser in Australia. Disability advocates last night applauded Mr
>> Bowen's intervention, but demanded the immediate scrapping of the
>> "discriminatory" policy behind the original decision.
>> Intellectual Disability Association of SA chairman David Holst and Greens
>> immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young both called on the Government
>> to
>> bring immigration policies into line with a 2010 parliamentary report on
>> the
>> issue.
>> "This case, like similar ones in recent years show why there must be
>> reforms
>> to the health waiver requirement," Ms Hanson-Young said.
>> "The Greens call on the Government to fulfil the recommendations from the
>> Enabling Australia 2010 parliamentary inquiry report, particularly
>> raising
>> the `cost threshold' of the health requirement and those criteria
>> affecting
>> family migration."
>> Opposition immigration spokesman Mitch Fifield said there needed to be
>> greater flexibility in cases such as that of the Threlfalls.
>> Mr Threlfall hoped his case would help ensure policy change after the
>> Immigration Department deemed Sarah could be a $500,000 burden on
>> Australian
>> healthcare and social services, despite assurances she was employed,
>> largely
>> self-reliant and rarely sought medical assistance in London.
>> "You can't adopt a hypothetical situation without taking into account any
>> positives," he said.
>> A spokesman for Mr Bowen said after learning about the case he had asked
>> the
>> department to "facilitate entry for the family".
>> Migration Institute of Australia state president Mark Glazbrook said
>> cases
>> such as this were too common.
>> "There is this general assumption that certain conditions will have a
>> high
>> cost and because of that the visa will be refused, even when you can get
>> strong evidence to say there shouldn't be a high cost," he said.
>> The Threlfall family received a deluge of support from readers of
>> AdelaideNOW and The Advertiser's Facebook page yesterday.
>> "That's disgusting! Let them in and stop the discrimination against
>> disability," one reader commented.
>> Autism Advisory and Support Service president Grace Fava applauded the
>> decision, saying people should not have to live with a label.
>> SA Police Assistant Commissioner Bryan Fahy said SAPOL would honour its
>> original employment offer.
>>
>>
>> ________________End of message________________
>>
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>
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--
Dr Tsitsi Chataika
Lecturer, Department of Educational Foundations
University of Zimbabwe
Faculty of Education
P.O. Box MP167, Mt Pleasant
Harare, Zimbabwe
Cell: +263 774 429 687
*Quote: It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what
are we busy about? - Henry David Thorea*
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