Australian Immigration Daily News

Sometimes when you read a news article you simply cannot believe your eyes!

Or you experience your eyeballs dropping out of your head in utter amazement and disbelief.

That was my reaction when I came across this article in today's Sydney Morning Herald which reports that the Department has adopted a policy that requires asylum seekers who are receiving taxpayer support to obtain the Department's approval before purchasing a household pet such as a dog or cat (the article indicates that there is no word as to whether the policy covers goldfish, guinea pigs or birds).

Apparently the reason for this policy is to prevent asylum seekers who are receiving government support payments from using those funds for pets rather than for their basic living needs.

However, if the government considers that persons receiving government support should require approval in order to own a pet, then why is it targeting only asylum seekers, and not the hundreds of thousands of other people who are receiving government support?

And does the government not consider that pet ownership might not provide asylum seekers, so many of whom have been severely traumatised by their life experiences before arriving in Australia, with companionship and emotional support that might help them recover, and also integrate positvely into Australian society?

My personal opinion (speaking as a dedicated owner of 2 Labrador retrievers, one of whom illustrates this post) is that this policy is crazily over-the-top and is just another way of demonising and punishing asylum seekers for having the temerity to seek to have their claims for protection under international law assessed in Australia.

One can only ask: what next?

Your thoughts?