Chinese Families Face Deportation from Victoria after being there 6 years

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Cases like this are totally unfair, I really hope the deportation get's over turned.

 

The families came to Australia in 2006 to fill jobs at the Midfield Meats abattoir in Warrnambool in the state's south-west.

They say they want to stay, and they have won the support of many in the town.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is now considering whether to overturn the deportation orders against them.

Leo Huang's family, and five others, were promised permanent residency when they were recruited by the abattoir in 2006.

But thanks to changes in immigration laws the following year, their future is now uncertain.

Since moving with his family, Mr Huang has graduated from the local high school.

He and his parents have become part of the community, volunteering at the town's winter festival and working in the local garden.

"It's not fair for our families in that we already lived here for six years and we become just a part of this community and culture and you helped us and then we have to leave," he said.

Noel Kelson from Midfield Meats says it is hard to find people in country Victoria to do abattoir work.

 

"They are critically skilled jobs - the processing of animals for meat for human consumption has become extraordinarily demanding over the recent years with the need for high-level microbiological outcomes in terms of carcass cleanliness - and these people are particularly skilled in achieving those outcomes," he said.

Midfield Meats has offered to sponsor the families for further work visas or permanent residency, but it has been a drawn out process.

Mr Kelson says changes to 457 skilled migrant visas now mean there are tougher English requirements for meatworkers.

He says one of his Chinese staff fell short on an English test by half a point and his application for permanent residency has now been rejected by the Migration Review Tribunal.

"We're desperately disappointed that after a very long process through the Migration Review Tribunal ... their application for exceptional circumstance in the decision-making process hasn't been recognised," he said.

 

 

Warrnambool resident Chris McEwan says she and others have offered to sponsor the families involved.

"The Warrnambool people are really shocked," she said.

"It's all been done very quietly, it's all just sort of happened quickly and they're in shock and they're cross because they know how much value the Chinese have been in our community; the work they've done."

"They know the hard yards they've put in and to have been here for so long; we want them to stay."

She has written to Mr Bowen.

"If we're bringing in migrants just to use them for a couple of years, we've got to set up a decent system that's a lot more humane than it is now," she said.

"We need skilled workers but we've got to really be far more humane about it."

Mr Bowen's office says it cannot discuss individual cases.

But he may grant a visa to people who do not satisfy the criteria, if it is in the public interest or if there are exceptional circumstances.

[dodgy]

DISGUSTING.

I know they have to have laws and rules in place but its always the people who do all the right things and apply legally and work hard and are value to their community and Australia that are pushed away and rejected,Yet if they paid $10,000 each and came across on a boat illegally they would be rewarded for their efforts.

Isn't it time Australia lived up to its "a fair go" attitude.

[RockDr]

I thought you only needed functional english for the RSMS? that's 4.5 average IELTS. You'd think after six years in the country they'd be able to manage that?

 

also given they'd presumably have applied before July this year there are exemptions to the requirement: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/rsms/exemptions.htm

 

So in this case it actually looks like the laws are there to help people in situations like this... Unfortunately, it sounds to me like they did a DIY application and didn't know to lodge an exemption application...

[Harpodom]

DISGUSTING.

I know they have to have laws and rules in place but its always the people who do all the right things and apply legally and work hard and are value to their community and Australia that are pushed away and rejected,Yet if they paid $10,000 each and came across on a boat illegally they would be rewarded for their efforts.

Isn't it time Australia lived up to its "a fair go" attitude.

 

totally agree with the last sentence, but totally disagree with your premise that its "always the people who do all the right things and apply legally and work hard and are value to their community and Australia that are pushed away and rejected"

 

Australia has an obligation to accommodate asylum seekers just like any other country, yet they 'accommodate' them in what are basically prisons.

 

As for the family in the OP, hopefully someone in govt will see sense and reverse this nonsense. Reminiscent of the (German?) family with the Down's Syndrome child who were told the kid was too expensive to look after and therefore they weren't welcome anymore, bearing in mind the father was a much valued and respected GP in this rural community for the previous 6 years IIRC.

[dodgy]

"Australia has an obligation to accommodate asylum seekers just like any other country, yet they 'accommodate' them in what are basically prisons."

 

If they want to stay in nice cosy hotels then they would be better advised to spend their money on visa applications like the rest of us doing it the right way not through the back door.

 

Im not talking about genuine refugees who are escaping hell i'm talking about the un-genuine people who take flights to say Shri Lanka and dump their documents before paying for passage to Australian waters.