We hoped to be able to give you the news this month that Vivian Alvarez–Solon had at last been reunited with her children in Australia. But, sadly she is still in Manila awaiting an acceptable resettlement offer from the Australian Government solicitors.It has been more than four years since Vivian was deported
from Australia to the Philippines on 20th July 2001; more than two
years since Immigration officials knew that an Australian citizen had been
wrongfully detained and deported but failed to take remedial action;
and over 20 weeks since Vivian’s discovery in an Olongapo
charity–run hospice was reported in the media and she could
no longer be ignored by the government.
In the three months since our
updates on Vivian’s case in the last issue of
“Kasama”, Immigration and Foreign Affairs
departmental records have been exposed by a Senate Committee inquiry
into the matter. The Committee’s Interim Report has been
published in advance of the long awaited second chapter of the Palmer
Inquiry which is now in the hands of former Victorian Chief
Commissioner of Police, Neil Comrie, under the auspices of the Federal
Ombudsman.
The Senate’s interim findings confirm our
assertions that DIMIA and DFAT are corrupted by racism and sexism as
well as being administered with outdated data collection procedures and
inadequate staff training. This is what Immigration Minister Vanstone
really means when she speaks euphemistically of a
“culture” in her department that needs to change.
Dee D. Hunt
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