Here's an update on the Robert Jovicic situation. He's still out there but a lawyer, Ms. Michaela Byers has taken up his cause, taking the case to the high court. It turns out Ms. Byers is also representing the case of one Ali Tastan.
The lawyer for Robert Jovicic, a former Australian resident deported to Serbia last year, is seeking a hearing in the Federal Court in an effort to have him returned to Australia.This 'policy of deportation' is really disturbing in as much as it renders people stateless, it also drops them in some part of the world where they have no means of support or survival. Let's look at Mr. Tastan for a moment. He's mentally ill. To say that Australia does not want this man, let him rot and die on the streets of Ankara, is akin to the Nazi party rounding up mental patient inmates for extermination - only, it costs less. It's fascist, and appeals to the worst instincts in us all.
After serving jail time for drug-related burglaries, Mr Jovicic was stripped of his residency and deported to Serbia in June last year by former immigration minister Philip Ruddock.
The 39-year-old, who was born in Paris to Yugoslavian parents, had never lived in Serbia prior to being deported.
His lawyer, Michaela Byers, is hopeful the court will make a decision on the case by the end of the week.
"This time of the year is not a good time of the year to get quick action," she said.
"We're hoping we can get it by the end of the week."
Ms Byers is also asking for the return of a second long-term Australian resident, who was deported to Turkey.
Ali Tastan was deported in January 2003, after he served seven years in jail for malicious wounding, arson and drug offences.
Mr Tastan, who had lived in Australia for close to 30 years, has paranoid schizophrenia.
He is now homeless and is wandering the streets of Ankara.
"He has nowhere to live, no source of income other than his old age pension, [his] parents [are] saving $30 a fortnight from their pensions to send to him," Ms Byers said.
Ethically speaking, this is so beneath who we are or what we purport to be as a nation, it's embarrassing. Since when did Australia become this sadistic entity that lets mental patients die of starvation and cold on foreign streets? This is a total and utter fiasco and I'm surprised the Federal Labor Party isn't running harder with this case. There should be a public furore about this, but there's only moderate interest. Instead we're looking on at these so-called 'Cronulla race riots' as the media story of the month. Xenophobia is the flavour of the month How pathetic.
Being a marginal economic entity I can't really support Mr. Jovicic's fight or Mr. Tastan's fight; the best I can do is just talk about it here and keep it in the eye of people who read this blog. However, I do applaud Ms. Michaela Byers, who clearly is a good citizen of Australia who represents the best in us all. I wish her well in the court case.
1 comment:
These people grew up here in Australia so these people came to be whatever you may call them in this community. Can we send a rapist or can we forgive sexual abuse to children because they are Australian citizens? I have a better idea; if the deportation of Ali Tastan was wrong which it is and has been justified by the court. Why doesnt Murdoch pay the compensation and other expenses that will be spent from the tax payers pocket. I can not believe that millions will be paid to Ali Tastan, not that I'm against it because this person has been imprisoned wrongly for 3 years and has been left to suffer on the streets of a city for 3 years he has never been before and this ads up to a total of 6 years of agony for his family, but it will be the money which could have gone to schools, hospitals, child care so whos fault or personal opinion led to this stage? Philip Murdoch!!! I think he should pay the money from his wages. We are the ones that are suffering twice.
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