Luck stuck on the side of the Matados family in 2008. Armed with a 457 visa Rene was able to bring his wife and their two sons to Perth, Western Australia. But few years later, the wife succumbed to breast cancer and Rene had a stroke, and worse their application for a permanent residence visa was denied. Image: Rene Matados, left, Carmelita Baltazar of Migrante International, centre, and youngest son Robin
Now, their appeal to stay permanently in Australia is still in the discretion of the Immigration Minister a year after their appeal was denied by the Migration Review Tribunal.
Our contributor Cielo Franklin interviewed Rene Matados, who has difficulty in talking, as assisted by Carmelita Baltazar of Migrante International.
We sought the comment of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
This is the reply of the spokesperson.
"The family has an ongoing request for Ministerial Intervention which has been referred to the Assistant Minister for consideration.
The Assistant Minister is aware of the circumstances of this case.
The Assistant Minister’s public interest powers are non-compellable and non-delegable. As these powers are intended as a safety net for resolving unforeseen and compelling cases, the Assistant Minister generally only intervenes in a relatively small number of cases which present unique and exceptional circumstances."
