Deporting citizens shows and immigration policy gone mad
(republishing, copying, no restrictions)
By: Father Shay Cullen
"She is the beautiful lady that
speaks good English", that is how Angelie, a 13 year old child from
Preda's center for children in Olongapo described her friend Vivian
Alverez, 46, the long lost mother of two who was improperly deported
from Australia four years ago. Almost a year later she was transferred
to the Sisters Hospice in Olongapo City where the Preda staff and
children visited her every week.
"She is the sad lady that cried when I asked if she has children", said
12-year-old Vangi, "she is the nice lady that reads the bible", said
ten-year-old Beth.
Sally Roacoma, a housemother at the Preda's Children home in Olongapo
City described Vivian as very lonely with no one to talk to.
"She could hardy understand Filipino and had no one to talk to for
almost four years. I pity her and cheered her up by telling her that
one-day, she will see her husband. Then she smiled. We mad jokes and she
laughed. She just lay in bed. The children held her hands which were
weak and damaged in the accident that she suffered in Australia which
caused her memory lost and led to her inability to tell the iron fisted
immigration authorities who she was.
Vivian was lonely and isolated in the Spartan open ward of the hospice
for poor and abandoned old women. The religious sisters of mother
Theresa, surviving on a shoestring budget cannot afford a television or
magazine. The kind sisters, Sally and the children were her only
companions that brought her consolation and companionship in a lost and
lonely world.
When Sally and the children visits Vivian, she always talks about the
accident and the pains she feels because of the accident. She couldn't
remember the accident itself, but reports said the injuries looked like,
she was beaten up by a mugger.
She became upset when recounting how she was deported before she had
properly healed and recovered from the accident. Despite her pain and
discomfort, she was not believed by the immigration officials and was
still brought to the airplane. She told them that she was to pick up her
child at a day care center the day of the accident. What causes so much
pain, she told her friend Sally from Preda, is the plastic tube that was
inserted in her throat. That was in 2001.
She was angry that they had deported her. She told the children and
Sally in Filipino "I have a hostile feeling towards them. I have no
respect for them."
When I arrived at the large blue gate of the compound of the
missionaries of charity last Thursday, I found the media camped outside
waiting to have a interview with Vivian.
I went in and found Vivian sitting in a green painted bamboo chair,
parked nearby was her wheel chair. She held my hand as she had held the
children during their visits, a longing for friends and reassurance that
this was not a dream. The promises made by Sally that she would be found
and seen by her husband and children again never to give up hope, would
come true, like a miracle it had.
I sat beside her asking her how she felt, I'm ok now she answered with a
gentle smile. Her sister Cecile sat nearby, they had just met after 15
years. They met as strangers, no hugs or recognition, "faces change
after 15 years she says."
Vivian was calm and at peace after Manila based Australian Consul
General Frank Evatt had reassured her everything would be done to help
her be reunited with her family and medical assistance would be
shouldered by the Australian Government. "They got the message" she said
later, with a smile.
Father Michael Duffin, the hospice chaplain came over with Frank Evatt.
The consult said all would be done for her, the embassy would pay the
medical costs and social welfare will be provided.
"Could I then live in a nursing home?" She asked, consul replied, "It
would be assessed in the long term to look after you in the future."
Vivian then asked, "Can I see my son?" and the consult replied, "If its
an Australian in need its normal to give assistance. We will help
achieve what is best. The role is to get social services to pay for it
in the end, and get back to normal. You will get what are your wishes."
"Thank you, so much", Vivian said.
The consul expressed concern about the media and said, "When I go say
what you want to say even if critical, you are not advised to leave this
present place. The prime minister made a public apology and accepted
responsibility.
Australian born Father Michael Duffin said, "Vivian never had hard
feelings" He turned to Vivian "you should be happy now".
Perhaps he regretted the long years of unhappiness that Vivian had
suffered missing her family and wished that he had pursued enquires into
the identity of the English speaking mystery woman from Australia that
he met during his visits to the hospice as chaplain. When asked a while
later by a journalist if she had hard feeling to the Australian
authorities for what they had done to her, said "I did not see it wrong
at that time."
The wrongful deportation of a Filipina who is an Australian citizen is a
serious embarrassment to the Australian government, which has introduced
a zero tolerance policy. Tens of thousands of Filipinos in Australia
have condemned the treatment of Vivian as racist and discriminatory.
They have challenged the mailed fist policy of immigration that have
jailed migrants who have valid visas. Vivian's sister said, "If she was
white they would never have her deported her immediately, there was some
kind of racial discrimination". There is a widespread concern that there
may be many similar secret deportations unknown to the public or even
the families and friends of the deportees.
When I asked the children at the Preda Home what they felt now that
Vivian is going home, Beth said it all, "She is going to be with her
children, I am so happy for them, if only we had parents who care for us
we could be happy too." [End]
