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2024-07-09 Down Under
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Australia accused of discriminating against disabled migrants
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[BBC] When Luca was born in a Perth hospital two years ago, it flipped his parents’ world in ways they never expected.
With the joy came a shocking diagnosis: Luca had cystic fibrosis. Then Australia - Laura Currie and her husband Dante’s home for eight years - said they couldn't stay permanently. Luca, his parents were told, could be a financial burden on the country.
“I think I cried for like a week - I just feel really, really sorry for Luca,” Ms Currie says. “He's just a defenceless two-and-a-half-year-old and doesn't deserve to be discriminated against in that way.”
With a third of its population born abroad, Australia has long seen itself as a “migration nation” - a multicultural home for immigrants that promises them a fair go and a fresh start. The idea is baked into its identity. But the reality is often different, especially for those who have a disability or a serious medical condition.
It is one of few countries that routinely rejects immigrants’ visas on the basis of their medical needs - specifically if the cost of care exceeds A$86,000 ($57,000; £45,000) over a maximum of 10 years. New Zealand has a similar policy but Australia's is much stricter.
The government defends the law as necessary to curb government spending and protect citizens' access to healthcare. It says these visas aren’t technically rejected. But neither are they granted. Some can apply for a waiver, although not all visas allow it. They could also appeal the decision but the process is lengthy and expensive.
Campaigners see this as discriminatory and out of step with modern attitudes towards disability. And after years of fighting for it, they are hoping for change in the coming weeks, with an official review of the health requirements under way.
Laura Currie and Dante Vendittelli had moved from Scotland for jobs that Australia desperately needs. She is a nursery teacher and he is a painter-decorator.
| How is it that those roles cannot be filled by native citizens? |
They had started their application for permanent residency before Luca was born. But now they feel like the life they built here and the taxes they paid meant little.
“It's like, we're here for you [Australia] when you need us, but when the roles are reversed and we need you, it's like, nope, sorry, you cost too much money, you go back to your own country.” 
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Posted by Skidmark 2024-07-09 00:22||
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Posted by Jack+Creanter7508 2024-07-09 08:13||
2024-07-09 08:13||
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