Call for immigration cases relating to people with disability applying for residence in Australia or refugee protection

From the National Ethnic Disability Alliance:
We need your help – deadline 31 January 2011. This call is distributed on behalf of the following organisations:

· Australian Federation of Disability Organisations AFDO
· Canberra Multicultural Community Forum
· Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia FECCA
· National Ethnic Disability Alliance NEDA
· People with Disability Australia PWDA
· Settlement Council of Australia

The above organisations met with Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, in mid November 2010 to discuss the report and recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration Inquiry into migration with disability. The meeting demonstrated that there is a window of opportunity to convince the Government to change the current process and parameters for assessing people with disability when applying for migration to Australia or refugee protection.
We now need to present the Government with as many cases as possible – those that have been rejected on the basis of the applicant with disability and those with a member of the family with disability.
We also want to hear about the cases that you know about where the application has not yet been lodged, i.e. prior to rejection. All cases require consent from the applicant.

The information can be sent to office@neda.org.au  where the information will be collated and passed on to the Minister’s office. This call is open until 31 January 2011. For any queries contact Sibylle on 0407 878 933

Source:  NCOSS Ageing & Disability Update 5 January 2011