A family that has lived in Perth, Australia for seven years was recently at risk of
being deported simply because their son has Down syndrome. Yes, you read that correctly: the country is legally able to discriminate against immigrants if they - or their family members - have a disability.
Deporting families because of a disability is legalized ableism, which is just shorthand for modern eugenics.Sign now to tell Australia's Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles: show some humanity and end this discrimination against disabled immigrants and their families!The two children, Aaryan and Aaryasree, along with their loving parents, deserve to stay in the place they call home. Aaryan, a 10-year-old boy living in a south suburb in Perth, is just like any other child: he loves playing with his friends, going to school, and riding his bike. His disability should not be an excuse to deport him.
Thankfully, after the public rose up to defend the family, Minister Giles finally agreed to grant them permanent residency status.But what about the countless other families like theirs? In Australia, a legal loophole could allow this nightmare to happen again and again and again, forcing families that haves built a life in Perth to start over outside of Australia.
The logic of this ableist law is that an immigrant child disability could "put a burden" on the local healthcare system. In other words,
the Australian legal system is claiming that families do not deserve equal opportunity or treatment if their child lives with a disability.Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles could stop this unthinkable discrimination at any moment. Sign the petition to demand that the Australian government remove this ableist legal loophole at once! 