Disabled? Sorry We Can't Afford It: Australia's Position on Refugees and Migrants with Disabilities. (Women with Disabilities)

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The recent case of Sharaz Kayani and his family has highlighted the discriminatory nature of Australia's migration policy.

A former Pakistani asylum seeker, now Australian citizen, Sharaz Kayani set himself alight outside Parliament House in Canberra as a protest at the rejection of his application to have his family join him in Australia.

Mr. Kayani came to Australia in 1996 as an asylum seeker fleeing persecution in Pakistan, where he feared for his family's safety because of his friendship with members of Pakistan's Ahmedi religious minority.

Two applications for his family to join him in Australia under the "split family" provisions of the humanitarian programme have been rejected on the ground that one of his daughters has a disability, cerebral palsy.

      "The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed that all human rights
   and fundamental freedoms are universal and thus unreservedly include
   persons with disabilities. Every person is born equal and has the same
   rights to life and welfare, education and work, living independently and
   active participation in all aspects of society. Any direct discrimination
   or other negative discriminatory treatment of a disabled person is
   therefore a violation of his or her rights. The Conference called on
   Governments where necessary to adopt or adjust legislation to ensure access
   to these and other rights for disabled persons." (1)

The Australian Disability …