The sister of a 33-year-old Swedish-born man who was deported after residing in Australia since he was a newborn, has said the federal government's dismissal of a UN ruling to repatriate him was to “make an example of him”.
Listen to an interview with Annette Turner here
Annette Turner told SBS News that her brother, Stefan Nystrom, now a homeless man in regional Sweden who suffers mental health issues is in a “living hell”.
“Not that Sweden is hell, but Sweden is not Stefan's home. You can't take a product of Australian society, who doesn't know the language and leave him to fight for himself in society that is not his own,” Mrs Turner said.
“The main problem is the inconsistency of treatment and medication, his condition may suddenly mean he requires urgent treatment.” she said.
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“He hasn't coped well. He's angry, suffers depression, is paranoid, he thinks that people are chasing him.
Stefan Nystrom had thought he was an Australian citizen and was a previously ward of the state.
He was convicted of the aggravated rape of a 10-year-old boy when he was 16, as well as 80 other offences including arson, property damage, armed robbery, burglary and theft and drug charges. He served his sentences for those offences.
“We are not arguing with the point about his criminal charges, but he has done his time for the crimes he committed," Mrs Turner said.
Mr Nystrom was deported in 2006 when the High Court upheld the government's decision, but UN Human Rights Committee found the deportation was a breach of his human rights and ordered Australia's assistance in his repatriation.
Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said the Australian Government "respectfully disagrees with the committee's finding".
She disputed the finding that Nystrom's "removal constituted an arbitrary interference with his family" and said "no unreasonable impediments were placed upon the acquisition of Australian nationality".
"A person may apply for Australian citizenship at any time, and a child can be included in the responsible parent's application for citizenship or can apply for citizenship in his or her own right," she said.
But Mrs Turner said she believes the government intends to use Stefan as an example.
“In the [Australian] government's ruling, they said they would make efforts to not allow this to happen to anyone else. We think that in some way this is an admission that what happened to Stefan was not right, and that they are trying to make an example of him to others,” Mrs Turner said.
Mr Nystrom sleeps rough, going between friends and relatives houses and only contacts his family in Australia intermittently.
Mrs Turner said that he does not have access to the medication he requires.
“I don't think that they [Swedish authorities] are that interested in him. It's cruel and affects the people of Sweden that an Australian is in their society who is in need of help."
FACTS:
- Stefan Nystrom: born 31 December 1973, Sweden
- His mother, an Australian permanent resident, brought him back to Australia at 27-days-old
- His absorbed person visa was cancelled in 2004 on account of multiple criminal charges, for which time was served
- He was deported in 2006, when a High Court rulling upheld the goverment's decision
- In 2011, the UN Human Rights Commission determined that Australia had violated his human rights and that Australia has a legal obligation to remedy the breach
