British policeman granted visa after government U-turn

Details

Created on Wednesday, 20 June 2012 13:33

Written by Editorial staff

One British family is celebrating after being granted immigration visas, which they had initially been denied by Australian authorities.

David Threlfall, a British policeman, had been offered a job in the South Australian suburb of Ceduna but experienced problems when his family made visa applications.

His 25-year-old daughter Sarah is autistic, which a medical officer from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) believed would prove a burden on the Australian health service.

This is despite Sarah working two jobs back in the UK, as well as volunteering her time with the Scout and Guide movement - she had planned to train to become a hairdresser while in Australia.

However, following extensive media coverage, the plight of the Threlfall family has come to an end, with immigration minister Chris Bowen overturning the initial decision.

"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," commented Mr Threfall, a London Metropolitan Police officer.

He explained that Sarah had not been a drain on community and health resources in the UK, nor would she be if the family were to relocate to Australia.

The DIAC had estimated that the 25-year-old could burden Australian services by as much as $500,000, despite assurances from the family that she was mainly self-reliant and employed.

This particular case has reignited the debate over whether immigration laws need to be changed - and the health requirement in particular.

Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young is one of those in support of the amendments, as outlined in a 2010 parliamentary report.

"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," she noted.

The parliamentary inquiry heard a number of instances where individuals have been denied permanent residency visas on the basis of their disability.

The committee identified that there is currently no measure used by the DIAC that quantifies a person's contribution to society.

It therefore recommended that a waiver is needed in very specific visa categories, otherwise the health requirement does not allow assessments to be made on social or economic contributions.

The National Ethnic Disability Alliance acknowledged that those working in care or volunteer roles could be missing out on places because they do not meet the health requirement.