This is a story of sheer and utter BASTARDRY by the Border Force (ABF) mob. On Sunday I started to receive a few calls and messages that became increasingly urgent. Finally after our Father’s Day lunch I managed to get back to them. The story is as follows:
B is a prominent businessman in my Kerala community. His son was to have his first holy communion late last year. That happened in December after a few false starts due to COVID restrictions. B then decided that he wanted to involve a few relatives from overseas to celebrate and commemorate the event now. So 3 uncles and their wives applied for 3 month tourist visas from the Middle East and India. B had to demonstrate that he had the funds to look after them here. He also had to show that he had a house that could accommodate them. This was not an issue.
Later the wives decided not to come. So on Sunday the three men arrived at Perth airport. They were met by ABF and taken aside and placed in three separate rooms in Immigration detention. B was waiting at the airport for them. Then commenced a sustained period of interrogation and questioning. They focussed on the statement that the 3 men had lied on their visa applications because their wives did not come with them. Then they focussed on the fact that they were coming here after the communion was done! They accused the three men of coming here to get jobs. All of them are gainfully employed in the Middle East and India.
The ABF then came to my friend B in the airport waiting area. He was not allowed to see his relatives and he was then questioned and treated basically as a immigration cheat! They wanted to know where these men were staying. He then had to produce photos of his 5 bedroom house to show them. Then they wanted to know whether they were travelling anywhere in Australia. When B said they were going to Adelaide they wanted to know how. He then had to produce photos of his two 4WD vehicles that he was going to use to get to Adelaide. They asked him to show them his bank accounts online. Which he did. They then wanted to query why he had an overdraft. He said he ran a business and used it for that.
After some 8 hours of questioning they sent B home. They had cancelled the visas and were aiming to deport the three on Wednesday.
B appointed a Melbourne based high profile lawyer. She had acted for the Biloela Family previously. She got some injunctions issued. Those injunctions were set down to be discussed in court this Thursday. Today the ABF people contacted B and advised him that they had backed down on EVERYTHING and the three were heading to his house. As we speak they are reuniting with B’s family and children some of whom have not seen their uncles for 7 years. The Court has also advised that the Government will pay all legal fees incurred. They have said they made a “jurisdictional error”.
That is the first time I have seen a “fu*k up” referred to as jurisdictional error. At the end of the day it was overreach by ABF and shows the sheer arrogance of that department. They have no idea of the psychological trauma they have placed the three men and their extended family back in India through. An absolute disaster and more unnecessary cost to the taxpayer. And this is the welcome we are striving so hard to extend to overseas visitors!! I can guarantee that these three men will not be allowing any of their relatives to come here and be subjected to this treatment.
