Question

In what ways is Australia different than the US. In terms of how it treats disabled immigrants?

Answer 1

Ans) Australia’s immigration system discriminates against disabled people, often excluding them from visiting, let alone settling here permanently.

- Every few months, another disabled person in our immigration system hits the headlines after they are deemed to be too much of a burden for the fragile Australian state. Each time, the community is outraged, signing petitions and begging the immigration minister to intervene. Sometimes he does. Sometimes the family is forced to leave. But the rules that create these situations remain the same, secure in their bipartisan support.

- Illegal immigration to Australia is defined by the Migration Act 1958, which distinguishes between "lawful non-citizens" (those in Australia holding a valid visa) and "unlawful non-citizens" (those without a valid visa).

- Immigration to Australia is administered by the Department of Home Affairs, formerly the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), and before that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

- According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the majority of people in Australia illegally are visa overstayers, who enter the country legally but remain there after the expiry or revocation of their visa. DIAC estimated that in the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010, approximately 15,800 people overstayed their visas out of 4.5 million temporary entrants during that period (about 0.35 per cent). As of 30 June 2010, DIAC estimated that the number of visa overstayers in Australia was around 53,900, or 0.2 per cent of the Australian population.