Australian Immigration Daily News

Following a strong email from Christopher Levingston this morning to MIA members asking them "what value are you getting from the MIA?", members of the MIA have started confirming that they will no longer be renewing their memberships with the MIA.   

This follows the sudden recent 'resignation' of Maurene Horder as CEO and conflicting messages from various persons responsible for the MIA.  I have tried to make contact with Maurene Horder via LinkedIn and will continue to try and find a way to contact her to find out what really happened.

Email messages have started streaming in to Migration Alliance today as MIA members become fed up.  Examples (minus the identifiers) are as follows:

EMAIL 1

Hi,
I have already stopped my membership because they are a waste of money. They were at one stage helpful and would assist with complicated questions however, they do not seem to have time for this anymore. The only time I heard from them was renewal time. Last year they offered a free CPD course (1point) if we renewed before a certain date. I did so and when it came to claiming it they just gave me the run around.
Its MA all the way for me. It’s good to have an organisation that is genuinely concerned about agents and not a puppet of DIAC.

EMAIL 2

I was just doing my renewal of MIA membership and furtunately saw the MA e-mail.
I am taking up MA's offer of not renewing my MIA membership

EMAIL 3

Dear Chris,
I extremely value your contribution to MIA profession and admire your enthusiasm and effort to help fellow RMAs.

The main issue with MIA was the lack of other organisation like MA in the past which could check its work and direction.

As you started the Migration Alliance and kept a close eye on the activities of MIA, then the MIA management started trying to get back to ?democratic principles?.

There are a few examples in the past where, MIA has expedited or worked on some important RMA issues with DIAC and government when you raised the issue of MIA being not active on those issues.

EMAIL 4:

Contrary to Jacqui Ure's email to Migration Alliance, which says says 'in a couple of months it will all be forgotten if we do not fuel the fire', it is my personal view that people, members, adults, expect more than this.

KH2M6BW567AN