This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 15, May 22-28, 2005
BY
CAESAR BEN BASAN A. BAROÑA SYDNEY, Australia - The
wrongful deportation of a Filipino-Australian has triggered a political blizzard
in Australia, causing a huge embarrassment for the John Howard government. The
case has exposed an immigration “culture that views everyone as an enemy,” the
bungling practices of Australian and Philippine authorities and a discriminating
mandatory detention policy in Australia’s immigration policies and practices. Filipino community groups,
human rights advocates and Australian opposition leaders have variously called
the mistreatment an “apparent mishandling of human beings who have never
deserved such treatment” and “amounting to racism and sexism and a blatant
disregard of women’s and human rights.” Wrongful deportation Vivian Alvarez Solon, also
known as (aka) Vivian Young (her married name), was reported missing after
failing to fetch her son in Queensland, Australia in February 2001. She was
later found in Lismore, New South Wales in a gutter in April that year.
Suffering spinal, neck and head injuries she was brought to the Lismore Base
Hospital and then transferred to a Sydney hospital. A month later, she was sent
back to Lismore for rehabilitation in a private hospital. In September 2003, the
Australian Immigration Department, headed by Sen. Amanda Vanstone, apparently
found out its mistake. By then, the Australian government could not find where
Vivian was in the Philippines. The department in statements to Australian media
previously maintained that Solon’s case was only discovered in the previous
weeks. However,
Filipino-Australians and Australian opposition leaders said that the
government’s incompetence calls for an independent royal commission to
investigate. They have also told the Howard government to give Ms. Solon
compensation and arrangements for medical care. Filipino-Australians’
reactions Cabaero also puzzled over
the reason the Philippine government facilitated Solon’s deportation despite her
physical condition. Solon was strapped to a wheelchair when she left on a plane
to the Philippines. Cabaero also asked why the Philippine government didn’t look
for Solon’s relatives when she was deported. Gabriela-Australia on the
other hand said: “There is something seriously worrying about a government that
appears to be suspicious of women who disclose sexual violation and trafficking,
of immigrants with refugee stories and those mentally ill.” The Filipino women’s
group said that Vivian had been very unlucky to fall under all categories. © 2004 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
The wrongful deportation of a Filipino-Australian has triggered a political
blizzard in Australia, causing a huge embarrassment for the John Howard
government. The case has exposed an immigration “culture that views everyone as
an enemy,” among others.
Bulatlat
An account claims she was involved in a car accident, but a social worker who
saw her said her injuries looked like a result of bashing. What was clear was
that Solon was mentally distraught, as she could not explain herself and defend
her rights. She told hospital staff she was Australian but they did not believe
her since she could not produce an Australian passport.
Three days after her hospital release in July 2001, she was deported, despite
medical warnings she was not fit to travel and a seizure that was reportedly
witnessed by Immigration officials. The Philippine embassy interviewed her
before she left and assumed she had Philippine citizenship. Solon’s deportation
was facilitated by travel documents approved by the embassy. An Australian
police officer escorted her to Manila and is said to have handed her over to
someone from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
For four years, Solon was left in the care of nuns of the Mother Teresa
Missionaries of Charity in Olongapo City, 126 kms north of Manila, in the
company of the frail and the dying.
Now it is know that for 18 years prior to her deportation, Solon,
formerly married to Robert Young, had been living in Australia. She has two
children, one now living with her former husband and the other in foster care.
Reports said she was suffering from physical and mental abuse.
Australian authorities asked the Philippine branch of Interpol to look for
Solon, but couldn’t find her. The Philippine branch failed to find even the
employee to whom Solon was turned over four years ago.
She was found in the Olongapo hospice after its chaplain, Australian Mike Duffin,
recognized Vivian after watching satellite television news about the search for
her. Australian Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, in an interview with
Australian radio, stopped short of accusing Duffin of delaying contact with
Australian authorities.
Vivian’s half-sister, Cecil Solon, went for her in the convent. Vivian Solon was
reported to have difficulty recognizing her half-sister at first, attributed to
trauma.
Calls for a Royal Commission
The search for Vivian Solon has added sparks to the Federal government’s system
of dealing with mentally-ill patients and the Australian Immigration system.
Mental health experts blame the federal immigration system for Solon’s
mistreatment.
Psychiatric expert Ian Hickie said in media interviews that people with mental
illnesses often had difficulty answering questions about their personal details
and would be mistaken for illegal immigrants by officials who did not recognize
their symptoms.
"Additionally, if they do not speak English or they don't look Anglo-Saxon, the
danger is there will be an assumption about illegality," he said. "If the
question is never asked, 'Do they have a medical or psychiatric explanation?' or
if the expertise is never provided, the danger of a mistake is high," he added.
The Howard government has apologized to Solon. It has also set in place an
inquiry headed by former Australian Federal police commissioner MickPalmer.
Filipino-Australians under Migrante have called for the resignation of
Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone’s resignation.
Lina Cabaero, spokesperson for Migrante Philippines-Australia, said on
Australian national media: "This has caused a lot of concern in the Filipino
community.”
Gabriela-Australia also said that the “continuing institutional negligence of
Vivian Solon’s case” amounts to “racism and sexism and a blatant disregard of
women’s and human rights for all.”
Vivian Solon is set to go back to Australia and has not pushed for a lawsuit.
She will meet her children living in Queensland.
Cabaero told Australian national media that her group’s concern at the moment is
for Solon to have a guardian from the Immigration Department.
"In her vulnerable state, she needs someone to liaise with them and to help her
before she comes back to Australia," she said. Bulatlat