Australia accused of discriminating against disabled migrants
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.
I think your assessment of what immigration does is accurate, but the conclusion I come to from that fact isn’t, “actually this is fine” but “actually fuck borders”.
Also, the idea that a disabled person will be a net negative to a country because of their “financial burden” is incredibly short sighted. There’s no consideration there that maybe kicking out a disabled two year old might have negative effects on the fabric of society.
The Australian state in particular has been on an anti-human rights kick of late. This is just more evidence of their complete indifference to humanity, and it is eroding their legitimacy.