Glenn raises an important issue when he talks about people being refused
admission based on the prejudices around disability. Surely it is not
unreasonable for a state to assess, using facts rather than assumptions, if
a person seeking admission is going to actually use more resources than they
are likely to contribute and make a decision based on that (where there are
not human rights violations or political asylum issues against the specific
individual to consider) . The refusal of admission based on assumptions
about a person's disability is a disability issue not the general right to
refuse admission because a person is disabled.
Paul
> ----------
> From: Smith, Glenn[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: Smith, Glenn
> Sent: 05 April 2001 11:41
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: FW: Australian Immigration Rejects Family as daughter has
> disabil ity -Father sets himself alight
>
> 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______________________
> >
> > Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
> > are now located at:
> >
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> >
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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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> Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
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