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One last chance for grandma on the brink of deportation

<p>Mary Ellis, 74, who has lived in Australia for the last 40 years and is facing deportation, has made a last-ditch bid to stay Down Under. </p> <p>The grandmother recently appeared on <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/grandma-faces-deportation-after-40-years-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a> and begged the Department of Home Affairs to let her stay in the country. </p> <p>At the time, she refuted the Home Affairs' claim that she had misrepresented her continuous residence in the country, after they alleged that she left Australia three times under an alias between 1983 and 1986, and that her late husband Martin Ellis was actually called Trevor Warren. </p> <p>The crucial qualification for an absorbed citizenship is that she would only be eligible if she was in Australia from April 2, 1984, and had not left the country since. </p> <p>The grandmother claimed that she arrived in Australia in December 1981, and hasn't left since, saying that she had also paid taxes in Australia, held a Medicare card, pension card and an Australian driver's licence.</p> <p>She was also nominated for the NSW Volunteer of the Year award last year, for her charitable acts.</p> <p>The<em> DailyMail</em> reports that there are no "compassionate grounds" on which the Immigration Minister could intervene in her bid to attain an absorbed citizenship. </p> <p>However, under the Migration Act, the minister could decide to intervene in Ellis' case if he thinks "it is in the public interest."</p> <p>Now, Ellis and her migration agent Schneider have requested in writing for the minister to intervene. </p> <p>Requests for Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to intervene must address specific grounds in doing so, and state why her staying would be in the public interest. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Nine</em></p>

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Grandma faces deportation after 40 years in Australia

<p>Mary Ellis, 74, has lived in Australia for over 40 years, but now she faces deportation. </p> <p>The grandmother is known as a local hero in northern New South Wales, for her charitable acts including helping feed the homeless in Tweed Heads, raising money for the Salvation Army. </p> <p>She was even nominated for the NSW Volunteer of the Year award last year. </p> <p>Despite her tireless efforts to help out other Australians, the senior might soon have to leave the country she has called home since she was 31-years-old. </p> <p>"(I have a) Driver's License, ID card, Medicare Card, Pension card. Everything Australians have," Ellis told <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>"I thought well, I'm a permanent resident.</p> <p>"You know, I carry on doing my daily - what I do every day. Nobody said anything."</p> <p>Ellis, who was born in London and moved here with her partner in 1981, was told that her partner had already arranged permanent visas for them.</p> <p>But one day, the Department of Home Affairs suddenly decided she's got to go. </p> <p>"This is my home and I love Australia ... I want to stay here," the grandma tearfully said. </p> <p>"Just let me get Australian citizenship, please let me.. that's what I want."</p> <p>Ellis has a son and two granddaughters in Australia, who are all Australian Citizens. </p> <p>Migration agent Stanley Schneider has been helping Ellis pro-bono since she was asked to leave, said that she was an absorbed person under the Migration Act and should be allowed to stay. </p> <p>"She's always paid her taxes.. she's never even had a speeding ticket," Schneider said.</p> <p>"She's never infringed anything. She's never offended anyone."</p> <p>The Migration Act requires someone to have been in Australia since April 2, 1984 and not have left, but the Department of Home Affairs claims Mary left the country three times under different aliases.</p> <p>Ellis denies the allegations.</p> <p>"I love Australia. (I) didn't want to go anywhere else," she said.</p> <p>She also said that she has documents that prove she was in Australia during the timeframe in question, which includes a job reference from a Tasmanian restaurant that she worked at from 1983 to 1986, and a Medicare enrolment letter signed by then federal Health Minister Neal Blewett.</p> <p>Ellis' migration agent said that the documents would not have been sent to her had she not been in the country. </p> <p>"Mary Ellis is a decent person. A person we should be absolutely thrilled to have in Australia," Schneider said. </p> <p>"And she's an Australian, Let's face it."</p> <p>In a statement shared to <em>A Current Affair</em>, the Department of Home Affairs said that they do not comment on individual cases. </p> <p>"People who do not have the right to remain in Australia are expected to depart," a government spokesperson said.</p> <p>"Individuals who provide incorrect information may be liable to have their visa cancelled under the provisions of the Migration Act."</p> <p><em>Image: Nine/ A Current Affair</em></p>

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UK family at risk of deportation for being "too old"

<p>A family from the UK are at risk of being deported from Australia, after the immigration policy deemed them "too old" to stay. </p> <p>In 2015, Parents Glenn, 57, and Sheena Tunnicliff, 50, moved from the UK to Perth to start a new life with their two young daughters, Tazmin and Molly.</p> <p>The family settled in the city's north, where Glenn started working as a plasterer and Sheena opened a Helloworld franchise, where she employed three others. </p> <p>Their daughters are now starting their own careers, as Tazmin, 21, has started working as a nurse and Molly, 18, is studying Australian Sign Language (ASLAN). </p> <p>Despite living, studying and working in Australia for almost a decade, the entire family is now being faced with the reality of being deported back to their home country. </p> <p>Glenn and Sheena were ordered to leave the country by August 4th after they were unable to secure permanent residency due to various visa and job changes over the years. </p> <p>Permanent residency has an age limit of 45, meaning now, neither parent qualifies. </p> <p>“We don’t want to go back to the UK. We’ve made a life here,” Sheena previously told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/visa-exclusive-immigration-australia-perth-family-face-being-sent-back-to-uk-despite-in-demand-job/2d59c8eb-e720-48bc-8d74-7be5a883ebf4?ocid=Social-9News" target="_self" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="2d59c8eb-e720-48bc-8d74-7be5a883ebf4" data-tgev-label="national" data-tgev-metric="ev">Nine News</a></em>. </p> <p>“Now we are over that magic figure of 45 there is no route to PR for us. Australia classes us as too old [but] we are the ones with the experience and training.”</p> <p>Since moving to Australia, the family has spent over $80,000 in visas, and will now have to fork out more for a "temporary Band-Aid fix" hat will extend their visas until July 2024. </p> <p>However, the family are planning to relocate to New Zealand, where the age cut-off for permanent residency is 55, meaning Sheena would be eligible.</p> <p>Bizarrely, after five years across the Tasman, the Tunnicliffs could become New Zealand citizens which would allow them to return to Australia to live. </p> <p>“We’d take all our skills and we’d go to New Zealand,” Sheena said. </p> <p>“It’s crazy. Australia’s lost all our skills. In five years time we could walk back into Australia.” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

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Distraught family faces eviction from Australia after 13 years

<p dir="ltr">A family in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire are facing the threat of deportation after 13 years living in Australia, with the Federal Government reportedly declining every attempt they’ve made at gaining permanent residency. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe, Emma and Nathan Mills explained how they’d left the United Kingdom in 2010 to start a new life down under with their two children, entering Australia on 457 skilled worker visas - visas for skilled migrants.</p> <p dir="ltr">They had plans to care for Emma’s dad, who is an Australian citizen with serious spinal injuries and mental health concerns. </p> <p dir="ltr">The young family settled in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire with their kids, and have spent the past 13 years making a home for themselves, and even welcoming a third child - daughter Daisy, who is now 11. Their eldest son James is now 21 and is considered “a respectable young member of the community”, while their second son Harry is undertaking his HSC.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Emma and Nathan, they have done everything in their power to secure permanent residency for themselves and their children, but have been declined by the government at every stage. </p> <p dir="ltr">And now, they are facing an unwanted return to the country they left all those years ago. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Are we going to be sent back to a country that is essentially foreign to us all now?” Emma said to O’Keefe. “My children don’t have lives or memories of the UK, they have memories of Australia. This is their home.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to stress that they’d “built a life here”, and that it was hard for any of them to “comprehend that this is even happening.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Emma did explain that changes to the immigration system, and her husband’s employment, were factors in their ability to apply for permanent residency - he works as an employment advisor, while she is a full-time carer to their children and to her father. They’d even tried to apply for a carer visa, but were rejected at that turn, too.</p> <p dir="ltr">And as Emma told O’Keefe, she’d only found out about the rejection when her kid’s schools called to inform her their enrolments had been cancelled due to the visa revocations. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The principal informed me that from the Monday she [Daisy] was not permitted to return to school. I was in shock and disbelief," she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I then got a call from Engadine High School with the same news. What shocked me and frightened me the most is my eldest son [still attending school] was due to sit his HSC the following week."</p> <p dir="ltr">And while the family did win an appeal in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal that should have permitted them to stay in Australia, they were never granted visas, and even their Medicare was cancelled. </p> <p dir="ltr">Things took another turn for the worst on April 13, when they received a letter from the Home Affairs Department that gave them 35 days to leave the country, or else they may be detained and deported. </p> <p dir="ltr">Emma revealed that her father was “absolutely devastated” about how the situation was transpiring, and that they’d “tried to do everything the right way” to no avail. </p> <p dir="ltr">Still, they’re determined to keep fighting to stay in their home, and have appealed for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to reconsider the potentially life-changing decision.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Drive with Chris O’Keefe / 2GB</em></p>

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Minister steps in to stop deportation of family with Down syndrome son

<p dir="ltr">A Perth family who were on the brink of deportation because of their son’s Down syndrome have been granted permanent residency after an intervention from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.</p> <p dir="ltr">Last month, the family from India were told to leave because their 10-year-old son’s condition was viewed as a “burden” on the taxpayers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Parent’s Krishna Aneesh and Aneesh Kollikkara begged the Immigration Minister to intervene, as their bridging visa was set to expire on March 15 and they had exhausted all other legal options.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family had been living in Australia for seven years, and on Wednesday they received the happy news through a letter from Giles.</p> <p dir="ltr">The letter read: "[The minister] has personally considered your case and has decided to exercise his public interest power in your case to substitute the decision of the [Administrative Appeals] Tribunal”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aneesh and her husband spoke to reporters after the decision came out, and said they were “over the moon” when they found out.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I literally went into tears we can stay here we can live in this community we can provide a very good environment for our kids,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both parents work in highly-skilled industries, with Aneesh as a cyber security expert and Kollikkara working in telecommunications.</p> <p dir="ltr">People with Disability Australia treasurer Suresh Rajan, the family representative, said that their contribution to the society was taken into consideration in the intervention.</p> <p dir="ltr">"That public interest criteria goes to the fact that Krishna and Aneesh are performing work in critical industries and the public wants them here," he said.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Letter received from Minister Giles office granting Permanent Residency to Krishna and Aneesh. Hallelujah! <a href="https://t.co/iYnWHrAZ0C">pic.twitter.com/iYnWHrAZ0C</a></p> <p>— Suresh Rajan (@SureshRajan6) <a href="https://twitter.com/SureshRajan6/status/1633340769493999617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Rajan also shared the development on the family’s case on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Letter received from Minister Giles’ office granting permanent residency to Krishna and Aneesh. Hallelujah,” he captioned with a picture of the family.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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“Australia wanted us out”: 501 deportee defies odds to return to Australia

<p dir="ltr">A New Zealand man deported from Australia under the controversial 501 section of the Australian Migration Act will be allowed to return, in a victory that he hopes will be a source of hope for others affected by the same scheme.</p> <p dir="ltr">Gavin Doré was a successful motorcycle salesman in Australia until 2018, when he was convicted for drug offending after his life was upended by a relationship break-up and losing his job.</p> <p dir="ltr">Desperate to stay in his mortgaged home, the 33-year-old began accepting boarders to help him cover his bills, and who brought with them exposure to the drugs scene.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was sentenced to three years and three months in prison after his costly dependence on methamphetamine pushed him to start dealing, prompting his visa to be cancelled under Section 501, which then resulted in his deportation once his sentence was complete.</p> <p dir="ltr">By then, Doré had undergone much of a drug rehabilitation program and became the father of a baby girl to his former partner.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then worked hard to appeal his case and have his visa reinstated, with the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal only recently allowing his return and for his visa to be reinstated.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Four plus years it took,” he told <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/501-deportee-overturns-visa-cancellation-so-that-he-can-go-back-to-visit-daughter/XAQWP7DAJ363CPR6PV6ER3F4B4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Open Justice</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tribunal said the combination of financial shock from losing his job and the emotional difficulty from the relationship break-up led to a “psychological malaise” and depression.</p> <p dir="ltr">It found that Doré had a “low to negligible risk” of reoffending in Australia and that it was in the best interest of his now four-year-old daughter that he be able to return.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of 501s arrive (in New Zealand) without hope and, as a result, turn to crime,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d like people to know that this is possible (to reinstate an Australian visa), and that there is a better way.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Doré added that he was “one of the lucky ones”, having joined a group in prison who were given advice on how to appeal the decision, including what to say and not say.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When I joined the group we were given the information that the process was possible, where to find the application, who to send it to,” he explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We actually also got given the details of how to get in touch with an immigration lawyer.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With Australia tightening the rules since he started his appeal, Doré said people are “losing hope in the process” of appealing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I do a bit of work with a church here (in Auckland) … and do quite a bit of work with the 501s. Anyone beating it is unheard of, really,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australia wanted us out, no matter what.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On the surface they wanted it to look as though there was a legitimate process for an appeal to occur, but … the process itself was so difficult for everyone, really, that a lot of people can’t see a way.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With most deportees arriving with “literally a backpack” and nothing else, Doré said he was fortunate to have the support of his parents when he arrived in New Zealand.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>Open Justice</em>, 192 Kiwi deportees have applied to have their deportations revoked since July 2020. Out of those, only 61 people were successful.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-53a853dc-7fff-fe5b-93ad-838ab9b58209"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZ Herald</em></p>

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Aussie grandma deported for helping son cover up fiance's murder

<p>Margaret Archer, the South Australian grandmother who was jailed for covering up the murder of her son’s fiancé, has finally been handed over to border force and will be deported.</p> <p>For the family of Jody Meyers, it is a moment to celebrate. Meyers' brother-in-law, Michael Bates, said the family is "happy" Archer is being sent to the United Kingdom.</p> <p>"We just don't want her around us," he said. "We don't want her in the community. We don't to have to be looking over our shoulder.</p> <p>We don't want to have to see that face."</p> <p>As police searched for Meyers in 2015, Archer was helping her son Neil to concoct a lie, claiming that Meyers had decided to leave her fiancé and their toddler and vanish from their Mannum home.</p> <p>Margaret sent a text message from Meyers' phone to support the story, however Neil Archer had strangled his partner to death and his mum helped him hide her body.</p> <p>The then 55-year-old used Meyers' own bank card to buy bags of cement, which were used to bury the victim's remains beneath the back shed of Archer's Mannum property.</p> <p>"You can support your child in many ways, but supporting someone to cover up a murder of the mother of your grandson is a whole new level," Bates said.</p> <p>Neil Archer was sentenced to at least 22 years in jail for the murder of Jody Meyers. His mother faced a six-and-a-half-year sentence, which she served in full. While Archer is free to continue living her life in the UK, Bates said their family is left grappling with her actions.</p> <p>The SA Corrections Department has confirmed Margaret Archer was released into the custody of border force, but did not specify when she will leave the country.</p> <p><em>Images: Nine Network / ABC</em></p>

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“I want my story to be heard”: Detained woman’s chilling words before her death revealed

<p><em>Content warning: This article includes mentions of suicide and mental health struggles.</em></p> <p>A woman who died of a suspected suicide in an Australian immigration detention centre has been identified as a New Zealand mum of two, who had her mental health medication restricted and pleaded with fellow detainees to tell her story just hours before she died.</p> <p>It is understood the woman was a 53-year-old from Christchurch (Ōtautahi), as reported by <em>TeAoMāori.news</em>.</p> <p>It has also been reported that the woman’s cell was raided by guards, who removed a stray cat she had adopted during her time at the centre, hours before her death on Saturday.</p> <p>She had been held at Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre for six months under the controversial <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/2-when-can-visa-be-refused-or-cancelled-under-section-501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">501 deportation program</a> - which allows for non-Australian citizens to be subject to deportation if their criminal record includes a prison sentence of 12 months or more.</p> <p>During the woman’s stay, fellow detainees said her mental state rapidly deteriorated.</p> <p>“The treatment she received was not human,” a source inside the facility who was familiar with its operations and her situation, told <em>Māori TV</em>.</p> <p>The source said Serco, the centre’s private operator, is failing to tackle mental illness among detainees.</p> <p>“With mental health concerns, basically it’s the same approach for everyone. Heavily sedate them so they shut up.”</p> <p>Ian Rintoul, a member of the advocacy group Refugee Action Coalition, told <em>Māori TV</em> the fellow detainees and the woman herself pleaded with Serco to get her help.</p> <p>Both she and a few other detainees had told Serco and Border Force (that) she needed help and should not be in detention. Her mental illness was very obvious,” Rintoul said.</p> <p>Friends of the woman have remembered her as “gorgeous, with a beautiful wairua”, per <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/501-deportee-who-died-in-australian-custody-was-christchurch-mother-of-two/I2TQLNEHOLVNWN7KVVIVZBOYZA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>NZ Herald</em></a>.</p> <p>“I was concerned about her, about her mental health, especially in that place,” one said.</p> <p>The day after her death, detainees told The Guardian that she had been fighting to get access to her mental health medication earlier in the day and that she wanted her story to be told.</p> <p>“She told me that she needs to have some medication at 8am in the morning but they’d give her medication like at 11am or 11.30am. And that makes her feel bad,” one detainee told the publication.</p> <p>“She was telling us last night, ‘I want my story herald. I want the people to know what happened to me. I want to tell the people what these detention centres do to people,” another recalled.</p> <p>One detainee said one of the likely “final straws” was when guards took the cat she adopted, which had been roaming the facility.</p> <p>“She was pretty obsessive, attached, and they knew that. They broke her spirit,” they said.</p> <p>Her fellow deportees also said the woman was trying to get in touch with her two sons, one of whom lives in Sydney, but she believed guards were preventing her from doing so.</p> <p>According to Māori TV, the Australian Border Force took more than 12 hours to get in touch with the woman’s family after she died, while Aotearoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Monday night that it hadn’t been notified of a death of a New Zealand woman in an Australian detention centre.</p> <p>Her death also comes within days of Australia’s change in leadership, wth incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signalling that the 501 program would continue but that there might be more consideration for the time someone has lived in Australia and whether they have ties to New Zealand.</p> <p>New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed potential reforms to the program, which disproportionately affects Māori, and said she will raise the grievances related to the program “no matter whom the leader is in Australia”.</p> <p>“We accept because we do it too, circumstances under which people will be deported … we have always reserved the right for New Zealand to do that,” Ms Ardern said in her weekly post-Cabinet press conference.</p> <p>“The area we have had grievance is where individuals are being deported who have little or no connection to New Zealand.</p> <p>“I will be utterly consistent no matter whom the leader is in Australia with raising that grievance.”</p> <p><em>If you are experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can call Lifeline 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 or visit <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au</a> or <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/national-help-lines-and-websites" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

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Australian government appeals ruling protecting Aboriginals from deportation

<p dir="ltr">The Australian government has made an appeal against a High Court decision that Aboriginal Australians can’t be aliens, claiming the decision threatens to confer “political sovereignty on Aboriginal societies”.</p><p dir="ltr">Lawyers for the government made the claim in an appeal against the Love and Thoms decision, which bars the deportation of Indigenous non-citizens. They claim that the ruling threatened the position that Aboriginal sovereignty did not survive the colonisation of Australia.</p><p dir="ltr"><em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/feb/01/aboriginal-spiritual-connection-to-land-no-bar-to-deportation-morrison-government-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em> reports that the submissions, lodged on Friday, also contain arguments that the spiritual connection Aboriginal Australians have with the land doesn’t create a “special relationship” to the commonwealth.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>What is the Love and Thoms decision?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">In February 2020, four out of the seven judges ruled that Aboriginal Australians were not aliens under the Australian constitution and couldn’t be deported, prompting the release of New Zealand-born man Brendan Thoms from detention.</p><p dir="ltr">Thoms and Papua New Guinea-born Daniel Love, who both have one Indigenous parent, had their visas cancelled and faced deportation from Australia after serving time in prison.</p><p dir="ltr">Lawyers for the two men, with support from the state of Victoria, argued that the government can’t deport Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders even if they don’t hold Australian citizenship.</p><p dir="ltr">In separate judgements, justices Virginia Bell, Geoffrey Nettle, Michelle Gordon and James Edelman made the ruling based on the three-part test established by the Mabo native title cases that assess a person’s claim to be Aboriginal based on their biological descent, self-identification, and recognition by a traditional group.</p><p dir="ltr">By April 2021, nine people were released from immigration detention as a result of the ruling, with <em>Guardian Australia</em> revealing the government was seeking to overturn the decision in October of the same year.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Why is the government appealing the decision?</strong></p><p dir="ltr">In November 2021, the federal court ordered for the release of Shayne Montgomery, a New Zealand citizen whose visa was revoked by former home affairs minister Peter Dutton after he was convicted of a non-violent aggravated burglary in 2018. </p><p dir="ltr">The court ruled that Mr Dutton “failed to give any degree of consideration” to Mr Montgomery’s claims of Aboriginality. Though he wasn’t biologically descended from an Aboriginal person, the court said it was “not reasonable” to conclude Mr Montgomery was not Aboriginal since he was culturally adopted by the Mununjali people in Queensland.</p><p dir="ltr">In an appeal against that ruling, the federal government is now asking that the federal court overrule Love and Thoms.</p><p dir="ltr">With the retirement of two of the four judges who originally made the decision, assistant attorney general Amanda Stoker has noted in a 2020 research paper that a challenge to the decision could see it get reconsidered by the new bench.</p><p dir="ltr">In October, immigration minister Alex Hawke <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/19/judge-orders-new-zealand-man-who-had-visa-revoked-by-peter-dutton-to-be-freed-from-detention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the government had “no intent to deport an Aboriginal from Australia”, despite making an appeal alongside home affairs minister Karen Andrews to restore their power to do so.</p><p dir="ltr">He said the case was about “a complex question of law, it’s not about an opinion of the government, and it has to be tested and resolved”.</p><p dir="ltr">“That’s what the government is doing. Of course, there is no intent to deport an Aboriginal from Australia, ever.”</p><p dir="ltr">Kristina Kenneally, the shadow home affairs minister, has said Labor “respects the decision of the high court” in Love and Thoms, and that the government should “abide by the ruling”.</p><p dir="ltr">The matter is yet to be listed for a hearing.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e42c34bd-7fff-c704-0076-0897e4ad5a67"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Has Novak's deportation ruined Australia's global reputation?

<p>The world has turned its attention to the Australian government's handling of Novak Djokovic and his refusal to get vaccinated, in order to compete in the Australian Open. </p> <p>As the tennis champion was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/djokovic-escorted-out-of-australia">deported from Melbourne</a> on Monday morning, many spectators of the saga have drawn attention to the Morrison Government's strict border policies. </p> <p>Greg Barns from the Australian Lawyers Alliance said it was “dangerous” and “Orwellian” and “deeply troubling in a society supposedly committed to freedom of speech and freedom of thought”.</p> <p>However, despite the <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/serbia-s-reaction-to-djokovic-deportation" target="_blank">growing outrage</a> in Novak's native Serbia, the notion that the tennis player's deportation has harmed Australia's international reputation is a lie Aussie's should not have to face.</p> <p>Readers of international publications such as the New York Times, the BBC and NBC News have all celebrated the decision made by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke to cancel Novak's visa and uphold the strong Australian borders. </p> <p>The Immigration Minister's decision to cancel the visa was supported by the Federal Court of Australia, preventing the tennis champion from competing in the Australian Open. </p> <p>“I am so glad this happened! Australia has worked very hard to keep its citizens safe! Kudos to them,” one commenter wrote on a Times story.</p> <p>“Australia has every single right to enforce their rules and laws, even on celebrities. Get vaccinated,” another wrote.</p> <p>When the BBC shared the news of his deportation on Facebook, the majority of the comments were in support of the government's decision. </p> <p>“Glad they stood their ground, in the end of the day Novak is just another human who should obey the rules,” one person wrote.</p> <div id="ad-block-4x4-1" class="w_unruly ad-block ad-custom unruly_insert_native_ad_here" data-type="unruly" data-ad-size="4x4" data-device-type="web" data-ad-tar="pos=1" data-ad-pos="1" data-google-query-id="CMaTzZ31t_UCFflCnQkdIy4Mow"> <div id="ad-block-2x2-1" data-google-query-id="CLnHxqT1t_UCFZCNjwodfvoFlg"> <div id="" class="story-content tg-tlc-storybody"> <p>Others agreed, writing, “Well done Australia for doing the right thing. You proved once again that you don’t pander to those who try to cheat and lie.</p> <p>“They’ve done the right thing by their citizens, who have had to live under restrictions (like many of us) for some time now. So someone blatantly lying to avoid the rules isn’t OK. He should’ve done the decent things and gone home days ago.”</p> <p>Australian journalist <span>Quentin Dempster wrote that the Morrison Government had no choice to deport Novak, given Australia's rising case numbers and hospitalisations. </span></p> <p><span>“This is a public health crisis,” he wrote on Twitter. “In a democracy free speech also comes with an ethical responsibility not to mislead or incite mass harm. Anti-vaxxers are doing just that. ICUs are clogged, people are dying.”</span></p> <p><span>Djokovic left Australia on a flight to Dubai on Sunday night after the full bench of the Federal Court of Australia ruled unanimously to kick him out of the country. </span></p> <p><span>Due to the visa restrictions, the world number one champion is banned from entering Australia for three years. </span></p> <p><span>Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Ben Fordham on 2GB on Monday that Novak "didn't have" a valid exemption to enter Australia unvaccinated. </span></p> <p>“He was wrong,’’ Mr Morrison said. “As simple as that. “He didn’t have one and that is the bottom line to that.</p> <p>“But the idea that someone could come and not follow those rules was just not on.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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Serbia's reaction to Djokovic deportation

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anger has grown in Serbia after Novak Djokovic’s visa was cancelled for a second time, with the country’s President claiming the Australian government has “humiliated” itself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Djokovic’s legal bid to overturn the cancellation of his visa once again was shot down on Sunday, after three federal judges upheld the decision on public order grounds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The World No.1 was </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/djokovic-escorted-out-of-australia" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ordered to leave the country</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, departing from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport late on Sunday night with a retinue of aids and officials. The Emirates flight EK409 to Dubai took off at 10.51pm local time, according to an AFP reporter on board.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Srdjan Djokovic, the tennis champion’s father, took to Instagram with claims Djokovic was subject to an “assassination attempt”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The assassination attempt on the best sportsman in the world is over, 50 bullets to Novak’s chest. See you in Paris,” he wrote.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile in Belgrade, Serbia 😍 Home country is waiting for its hero.<br /><br />Source: Srdjan Djokovic, IG <a href="https://twitter.com/NovakFanClub?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NovakFanClub</a> <a href="https://t.co/snC0ebfBPq">pic.twitter.com/snC0ebfBPq</a></p> — Yerik_nolefamkz 🇰🇿 (@yerikilyassov) <a href="https://twitter.com/yerikilyassov/status/1482802376549576708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serbian President Aleksander Vučić also shared his criticism over Djokovic’s treatment, saying the latest hearing was “a farce with a lot of lies”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They think that they humiliated Djokovic with this 10-day harassment, and they actually humiliated themselves,” he told reporters on Sunday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Djokovic can return to his country with his head held high.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you said that the one who was not vaccinated has no right to enter, Novak would not come or would be vaccinated.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Djokovic was granted a “medical exemption” by organisers of the Australian Open based on his positive PCR test results from December.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, organisers had previously been warned that infection with COVID-19 would be insufficient proof for a player to be unvaccinated and allowed in the country, prompting Djokovic’s visa to be cancelled the morning after he arrived in Melbourne on January 5.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decision saw Djokovic stay at a hotel housing immigrants in detention for several days, before his visa was returned to him following a successful appeal at the Federal Circuit Court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite his legal victory, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his personal powers to cancel Djokovic’s visa for a second time, prompting the tennis star to appeal the decision again in federal court.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I welcome today’s unanimous decision by the Full Federal Court of Australia, upholding my decision to exercise my power under the Migration Act to cancel Mr Novak Djokovic’s visa in the public interest. <br /><br />I can confirm that Mr Djokovic has now departed Australia. <a href="https://t.co/8CapwFeDCS">pic.twitter.com/8CapwFeDCS</a></p> — Alex Hawke MP (@AlexHawkeMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexHawkeMP/status/1482683424720945152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Vučić reportedly told the BBC that the relationship between Australia and Serbia would need work in order to improve, insisting that the saga was about “truth and justice, not just Djokovic”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You were saying medical exemptions and medical exemptions and he came there with a medical exemption proposal and then you were mistreating him for 10 days,” he told the BBC.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Why did you do it? And then doing that witches’ hunt campaign against him, that is something that no one can understand.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić also weighed in, describing the decision as “scandalous”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am disappointed and I think it has shown how the rule of law functions in some other countries, i.e. how it doesn’t function,” she told Belgrade’s Beta News Agency, according to a CNN translation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-deportation-sparks-outrage-around-the-world-as-his-father-slams-assassination-attempt/news-story/edcb04ad8f9b86ef4e1772b7ee052606" target="_blank">In a statement</a> posted online, the Serbian Olympic Committee said they believed “Novak came out as the winner again” despite his deportation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are proud of Novak Djokovic and the way he coped with these extremely difficult and unpleasant circumstances. Despite this scandalous decision, we believe Novak came out as the winner again,” they said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Djokovic’s family also spoke out, sharing their disappointment in a statement published by local media.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are very disappointed by a federal court ruling and the fact that Novak has to leave Australia,” the family said in the statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These are difficult moments, notably for Novak, but what we all have to do - namely us, his family - is to give him support more than ever.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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“Appalling” act sees British commentator booted from Australia

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Far-right British commentator Katie Hopkins will be deported from Australia, following thousands of people signing a petition calling for her departure.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After it was revealed Hopkins was flown to Australia last week to take part in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Celebrity Big Brother Australia</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a wave of online hatred and calls to remove her from the programme have been aimed at Channel 7.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, a video she uploaded to her social media profile over the weekend has intensified the calls and prompted an investigation into whether her visa was still valid.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the now-deleted video, Hopkins admitted to deliberately undermining hotel quarantine rules.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The police officer who checked me in told me when they knock on my door I have to wait 30 seconds ‘til I can open the door [to receive food],” she said in the Instagram Live video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then I can open the door but only if I wear a face mask.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[To] frighten the s**t out of them and do it naked with no face mask. What I want is the sergeant in the foyer to come up and tell me off so that I can stand there naked while he tells me off.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another video, Hopkins calls the lockdowns the “greatest hoax in human history”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The clip attracted widespread criticism from government and opposition politicians, as well as Aussies still suck overseas who questioned how she was able to score a spot in hotel quarantine in Sydney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The controversy also resulted in Channel 7 dropping her from the show, which they confirmed in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Seven Network and Endemol Shine Australia confirm that Katie Hopkins is not part of Big Brother VIP. Seven and Endemol Shine strongly condemn her irresponsible and reckless comments in hotel quarantine,” the network said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.change.org/p/sendhopkinshome-don-t-let-katie-hopkins-stay-in-australia" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Change.org petition</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> calling for her departure from the country has also been started, and has received more than 31,000 signatures.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews ordered an urgent review of Hopkin’s visa to determine whether her stunt breached visa conditions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Andrews has since revealed Hopkins’ visa had been cancelled.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We will be getting her out of the country as soon as we can arrange that,” she told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ABC News Breakfast</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite being granted a visa based on potential benefit to the economy, Ms Andrews described Hopkins’ act as “despicable”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m with you, it’s appalling this individual behaved the way she did,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“All visa holders must abide by the health directions issued by our health officials - we won’t tolerate those who don’t.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hopkins hasn’t been the only source of controversy for the Channel 7 show, after the news broke that Caityln Jenner was also flying into the country to partake in the show.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Katie Hopkins / Instagram</span></em></p>

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Should we stop deporting Kiwis who call Australia home?

<p>Since the early 1970s, when Australia and New Zealand put the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA) in place, citizens of both countries have enjoyed the freedom to travel and even settle, marry, work and live for any length of time in either country, with relative ease in the immigration process. And many have taken advantage of the opportunity to do so. At the last count there were about 650,000 New Zealanders calling Australia home.</p> <p>Over the years, there have been some minor alterations to this agreement, but the most significant of these occurred in <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/australia-is-deporting-new-zealanders-in-droves/">2014 when the Australian government made changes to the “character test”</a> within national immigration laws.</p> <p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014A00129">The Migration Amendment (Character and General Visa Cancellation) Bill 2014</a> altered section 501 of the Migration Act 1958, making it mandatory to send non-citizens back to their countries of birth, after they had been sentenced to prison terms that total 12 months or more.</p> <p><strong>Changes to immigration policy</strong></p> <p>Prior to these changes, a non-citizen could be deported after accumulated sentences that added up to two or more years. Under the changes, therefore it became far easier for minor offences to accumulate. Even suspended sentences and juvenile crime penalties can count for the 12 month accumulated prison terms.</p> <p>What’s more, laws were also changed so that a noncitizen can be deported without a conviction if the minister suspects on reasonable grounds, that they have some association with criminal activity.</p> <p>This law applies to all non-citizens, not just New Zealanders. But it appears that Kiwis have been the worst affected by these changes, with thousands of them being deported since the laws came into effect, despite some having lived most of their lives here and having little or no ties with New Zealand – some of them arriving in Australia as babies and then never again setting foot in the country.</p> <p>Over the period 2016-17, 51 percent of all non-citizens who had their visas cancelled were from NZ.</p> <p><strong>Potential to re-offend</strong></p> <p>Time and again, studies have shown that one important way to stop an offender from re-offending, is to ensure that they have appropriate and committed support – from family, friends and the wider community when they complete their sentence and reintegrate into society.</p> <p>Recognising this in 2013, <a href="https://www.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/media-news/media-statements/2013/new-community-support-to-reduce-re-offending.aspx">Corrective Services NSW introduced additional services</a> for offenders released from custody, specifically to reduce reoffending, including linking offenders with suitable accommodation, jobs and education, and financial and family services.</p> <p>In many instances, offenders have other more complex needs to consider too, such as little or no education, learning difficulties, mental health issues or problems with substance abuse which means that throwing them out into the great unknown, without back up or assistance, is a recipe for disaster.</p> <p>New Zealand deportees are being separated from children, partners, and extended family, which does not make it easy to reintegration or rehabilitate. In fact, 2018 data from the NZ Police showed that 44 percent of New Zealanders who have been deported from Australia are reoffending after returning to NZ shores.</p> <p><strong>‘Strained’ trans-Tasman relations</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/new-zealand-pm-condemns-turnbulls-policy-of-deporting-kiwis/">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has long been publicly critical of the policy</a>. She discussed it with former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull when she first took office, and has also brought up the topic with current prime minister Scott Morrison.</p> <p>Since Australia enacted changes to immigration policy, <a href="https://amp.abc.net.au/article/12008262">she says the impact on New Zealand has been significant</a>: socially, on gangs, and on New Zealand’s relationship with Australia, which has always been an amicable and positive one.</p> <p>New Zealand’s system for deportation is entirely different. It considers how long a person has lived in the country and the seriousness of their crimes. A non-citizen cannot be deported after 10 years of living in New Zealand. And while there are rumours that New Zealand would consider changing its policy to match Australia’s, Ms Ardern has officially ruled that out.</p> <p>Sadly, though, the Morrison government has shown no intention of softening, Instead, he consistently emphasises the importance of a ‘tough’ stance to ensuring the safety of all Australians. Ironically, most of the New Zealanders who have been deported thus far have not committed serious violent crimes. Many have driving offences, unpaid court fines and minor cannabis offences against their names.</p> <p>This is simply another act from a government that has proven time and again that politics and policies will always take precedence over the impact they have on the very people they’re supposed to support and protect.</p> <p><em>Written by Sonia Hickey. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/should-we-stop-deporting-kiwis-who-call-australia-home/">Sydney Criminal Lawyers</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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“Anchor babies”: Peter Dutton’s harsh label for Tamil children facing deportation

<p>Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has made a controversial statement surrounding the children in a Tamil asylum-seeker family that are facing deportation.</p> <p>He’s called the children “anchor babies”.</p> <p>"It's been made very clear to them at every turn that they were not going to stay in Australia and they still had children," Mr Dutton told 2GB radio on Thursday.</p> <p>"We see that overseas in other countries – anchor babies, so-called – and the emotion of trying to leverage a migration outcome based on the children."</p> <p>The Sri Lankan couple who are facing deportation came to Australia by boat separately several years ago before having two children.</p> <p>They currently are in detention on Christmas Island as the Federal Court decides whether the youngest child, age 2, is eligible for protection in Australia.</p> <p>Labor’s home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally first raised the idea of debate around the Biloela family and that it was straying into “anchor baby” territory.</p> <p>"This is an importation, quite frankly, of an American debate about so called 'anchor babies' and the law is very different in the United States where citizenship is accorded to anybody born on American soil," she said during an ABC radio interview.</p> <p>"That is not the law in Australia so it's an importation of that debate."</p> <p>However, Keneally is aware that the issue at hand is that Australians want the family to stay and integrate them into community.</p> <p>"It's not simply the act of having a child," she said.</p> <p>Dutton believes that it’ll take some time to resolve.</p> <p>"I think it will go on now for potentially a couple of months because lawyers will try and delay and that's part of the tactic," he said.</p> <p>"They think that if they delay they can keep the pressure up on the government and we'll change our mind in relation to this case."</p>

Legal

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“Probably going to get criticised”: Lisa Wilkinson doesn’t hold back in interview with NZ PM Jacinda Ardern

<p>Despite the recent popularity of NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, veteran news reporter Lisa Wilkinson wasn’t flustered and didn’t hold back in asking the difficult questions in a new interview on<span> </span><em>The Sunday Project</em>.</p> <p>The question was about Ardern’s thoughts on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s stance on deportations.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Jacinda Ardern was propelled into the world stage because of an unspeakable atrocity, and the way she reacted to it.<br />A lot’s happened since then, and<a href="https://twitter.com/Lisa_Wilkinson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lisa_Wilkinson</a> sat down with the NZ PM to talk life, love, and of course, politics. <a href="https://t.co/3zkgDVV0jm">pic.twitter.com/3zkgDVV0jm</a></p> — The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1152871393006149638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">21 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“You’ve described Scott Morrison’s stance on deportations as ‘corrosive’,” Wilkinson started.</p> <p>The question immediately flustered Ardern as she went into damage control mode.</p> <p>“Oh look I think we should be fair the, the deportation policy has existed for a while and…” Ardern stated.</p> <p>Wilkinson helped out Ardern and branded Morrison “the architect” of the policy that Ardern has described as “wrong” and “unjust”.</p> <p>“That is, that is correct,” Ms Ardern said. “When you are friends as we are, you can speak frankly with each other you know.”</p> <p>Ms Ardern added, “I think it speaks to the strength of it that we do speak so openly." </p> <p><em>The Sunday Project</em> interview was filmed shortly after a meeting between Ardern and Morrison, where the two leaders discussed the implications NZ citizens living in Australia have faced since the laws have tightened back in 2014.</p> <p>Ardern spoke candidly to NZ media, according to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-19/dutton-dismisses-ardern-demands-to-stop-deporting-new-zealanders/11324382" target="_blank">ABC</a>.</p> <p>“If something’s wrong and if something is not fair and is unjust, you don’t let it go,” the NZ Prime Minister said.</p> <p>“I totally accept that it is within Australia’s rights to deport those who engage in criminal activity in Australia. But there are some examples that will not make any sense to any fair-minded person.”</p> <p>Luckily, Wilkinson switched to a lighter note and asked Ardern about how she’s going with motherhood.</p> <p>Ardern revealed that she’s not “this Wonder Woman” and gets a lot of help from her fiancé Clarke Gayford.</p> <p>“No one needs to see anyone pretending it’s easy because it’s not and so I’m not going to go around pretending I do everything,” she said.</p> <p>“I’m not, it’s hard and women who are both working and raising children deserve to have help and support and so we shouldn’t pretend it can be done alone.”</p>

International Travel

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“Please deport my son”: Parents beg government for help after son stole life savings

<p>Tearful parents have pleaded with the Australian government to deport their son after he stole their credit cards and racked up $47,000 of debt in their name.</p> <p>Speaking to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="https://www.9now.com.au/a-current-affair/2018/extras/latest/180529/deport-my-son?ocid=Social-9ACA" target="_blank">A Current Affair</a></strong></em></span>, Jill and Tony Lewis said they don’t want to see their son Russell ever again after broke into their home, stole their credit card information and took all their money.</p> <p>“Please deport my son, because I've had enough… I never want to see him again,” Mr Lewis said on the program.</p> <p>Ms Lewis broke down as she recalled the moment five years ago the couple realised their own son had left them penniless. He had spent their life savings on televisions, a four-wheeler and a portable air conditioning unit and more.</p> <p>“Please deport Russell because I don't want to see him again.”</p> <p>Tony and Jill, who moved to Australia from England in 1985 with their 10-year-old-son Russell, said they expected to be retired by now.</p> <p>Instead they were forced to sell their home and business. They’re now borrowing money to pay their rent while looking after Russell's six-year-old daughter. </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FACurrentAffair9%2Fvideos%2F1557544647685240%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=560" width="560" height="470" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Russell has been convicted for fraud and was sentenced to 3.5 years' jail in Sydney's Long Bay. He will remain behind bars until 2020.</p> <p>The couple told A Current Affair in 2013 they were headed back to the UK for a holiday and had informed the Commonwealth Bank their accounts would remain idle.</p> <p>Before they had even reached the UK, the pair said Russell broken into and robbed their home.</p> <p>The couple, however, did not know they had been robbed by their son until they came back from their holiday and a bank teller alerted them.</p> <p> </p>

Retirement Income

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Minister steps in to stop deportation of 92-year-old

<p>One of the <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/2017/03/92-year-old-british-war-hero-set-to-be-deported/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>more unpleasant stories we’ve brought you</strong></span></a> this week looks set for a happy ending with Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke stepping in at the eleventh hour to stop the deportation of 92-year-old war veteran James Bradley.</p> <p>Bradley, who served in the British Royal Navy during World War II, had his visa denied after officials deemed his health issues would be a financial burden on the taxpayer.</p> <p>The 92-year-old, who moved to Australia in 2007 with his wife Peggy to be closer to family, is suffering from the early stages of dementia and is wheelchair-bound.</p> <p>Bradly and his wife had applied for permanent residency in 2007 but were caught in a lengthy queue of about 80,000 people and in that time his health has deteriorated.</p> <p>But they embattled family finally has some good news, with Mr Hawke’s office confirming with <em><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fairfax Media</strong></span></a></em> the minister had granted the couple a permanent visa, allowing them to remain in Australia for the rest of their lives.</p> <p>Ms Bradley said, "That's absolutely marvellous," Ms Bradley said upon being told the news. "I can't believe it. It's made my day. God bless him.</p> <p>“I didn't know what was going to happen if we were suddenly dumped in a country that we'd left 10 years ago. We've been in the doldrums for the last month or two. We'll be able to sleep at night.”</p> <p>We’re glad this story has a happy ending. </p>

Retirement Life

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92-year-old British war hero set to be deported

<p>A 92-year-old war veteran who has lived in Australia for over a decade is set to be deported to Britain after his visa was denied because his health issues would be a financial burden on the taxpayer, the Sydney Morning Herald report.</p> <p>James Bradley, 92, who served in the British Royal Navy during World War II, moved to Australia with his wife Peggie, 91, in 2007 to be close to his family and his grandchildren.</p> <p>The couple passed their mandatory health test when they first arrived and were place in the long queue for permanent parent visas. However, seven years later James was required to undertake another health test, which he failed. He is suffering the early stages of dementia and is wheelchair-bound.</p> <p><img width="440" height="273" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/03/19/23/3E7181D000000578-4329758-image-m-5_1489966531228.jpg" alt="Suffering from the early stages of dementia and confined to a wheelchair - Mr Bradley's condition is now deemed likely to 'result in a significant cost to the Australian community' and his visa has been denied" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-ddc1b08c19f5d05"/></p> <p>The couple’s visa was denied as James’ health issues have been deemed to “result in a significant cost” to the health system.   </p> <p>"Considering my background, I think I've been treated shabbily," James told the publication. "I've waited in a queue for permanent residency for 10 years, only to be rejected. I'd like to be able to spend whatever time I've got left here in Australia with my family."</p> <p>Despite being in good health Peggie’s visa has also been rejected as the couple came to Australia on a joint ticket.</p> <p>"Although we're old, we do play a part," said Peggie, who picks up her nine-year-old granddaughter Karis from school most days. "We can't believe that anyone knowing our history would have grounds for rejecting us."</p> <p><img width="443" height="258" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/03/19/23/3E7181DF00000578-4329758-image-m-13_1489967058884.jpg" alt="A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said Mr and Mrs Bradley's appeal is being considered" class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-42f452b8fc7e1ad1"/></p> <p>Speaking to Ten, Peggie begged the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to overturn the decision.</p> <p>“Have a heart – allow him to stay,” Peggie said.</p> <p>“He served his country during the war. Not just for Britain but for Australia and for all humanity and mankind.”</p> <p>The couple’s daughter, Sharon Bradley-Town, says her father “could not survive deportation”.</p> <p>"Every day, the uncertainty around their immigration status weighs on dad's bent shoulders like the heaviest of invisible sacks," Sharon wrote in a letter to Dutton. "He worries terribly about what will happen to him and to Peggie ... when he is gone. He could not survive deportation."</p>

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