Government’s ability to deport migrants with disability to face review, after Greens’ push
Key Points
- Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has agreed to a review of the government’s significant cost threshold mechanism.
- The mechanism allows the government to deport migrants if they or their child have a health condition or disability.
- The review is being done in exchange for the Greens supporting the government’s Pacific visa scheme.
Giles agreed to a review of a mechanism that provides an exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act, giving the government the power to reject temporary visa applications of people with a health condition or disability, and order families to leave Australia if their child is born with such a condition.
The review will be led by the Department of Home Affairs’ chief medical officer.
Greens agree to support Pacific visa scheme
Greens immigration spokesman Nick McKim said the migration system needed to be fair and inclusive.
“The government needs to respond to this review by ensuring that no child born in Australia to temporary visa holders is deported by the use of the significant cost threshold.”
‘Highly ableist’ policy
“It’s just unconscionable that a family with a child, who is in some cases born in Australia, is at risk of deportation because that child is disabled. We need to change that.”
Minister for Immigration Andrew Giles intervened in March of this year to prevent the deportation of the Perth-based Kollikkara family, which was given less than a month to leave the country because their 10-year-old son had Down syndrome. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Giles had previously conceded the criteria “doesn’t meet community expectations”, and that Labor was working on a solution.
Scheme to allocate 3,000 visas each year
To be granted a visa, applicants will still need to meet eligibility criteria including a job offer, health and character requirements.
Penny Wong said the new Pacific visa scheme would “grow the Pacific diaspora in Australia”. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
“This will grow the Pacific diaspora in Australia and will further strengthen our people-to-people connections across the Pacific family,” Wong told parliament.
The government has argued the process is already used in New Zealand and will reduce processing times and costs.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/governments-ability-to-deport-migrants-with-disability-to-face-review-after-greens-push/ajdz6o0gk Government’s ability to deport migrants with disability to face review, after Greens’ push