page 15

Permit Restrictions

[unclear: a]/y nice place to live - but I can't seem [unclear: b] visit there.

It seems that the Australian immigration authorities have a new policy on visors to their fair shores. Providing you're [unclear: ot] a Malaysian student or a wanted felon, [unclear: hey] welcome you with open arms, but if [unclear: ou] fall into the first category you get your [unclear: assport] stamped "Reference A". What he exact criterion for Reference A is, is closely guarded secret (like most immigration policies in this country as will as i Australia).

As far as Salient knows, "Reference A" as only been applied to Malaysian students [unclear: pplying] for visitor's permits to Australia on [unclear: heir] way to and fro Malaysia during the sum[unclear: her] holidays. "Reference A" means that [unclear: ou] are not permitted into Australia at all. [unclear: a] person whose passport is endorsed "refrence A" does arrive in Australia from New [unclear: ealand], they are not permitted off the [unclear: lane], and are flown back, at their own [unclear: ost], on the next available flight. Over the [unclear: ast] six months or so about thirty students [unclear: ave] been victims of this policy, which [unclear: cul-linated] this month when all 14 Malaysian [unclear: udents] who applied for visitors permits wen [unclear: rned] down.

When questioned by VUWSA President [unclear: ndrew] Tees the Vice-Consul at the Austr[unclear: ian] High Commission, Mr McArthur, would [unclear: nly] say that the Australian Government was [unclear: ncerned] about "non bona fide" visitors, [unclear: his] seems to mean visitors who arrive and [unclear: ten] never leave. While the Australian [unclear: gov-nment] may be quite justifiably concerned [unclear: out] an unauthorised and uncontrolled [unclear: flux] of immigrants, there are several ques-[unclear: ons] that remain unanswered.

There is the matter of the secrecy which [unclear: irrounded] this policy. While most govern-[unclear: entsare] reluctant to publically declare what [unclear: he] criterion for visas is, the Australian [unclear: gov-nment] is carrying it to absurd extremes;

The first student known to have been [unclear: lected] for exclusion provides a case in point. [unclear: a]October 1978 a Malayan student bought is tickets for a trip home. Because it is the [unclear: eapest] way to fly, he selected the [unclear: Welling-on] / Sydney / Singapore route. Having [unclear: ught] his tickets he went to apply for a [unclear: sa] (as you must have your tickets before [unclear: ou] can apply for a visa). He was awarded [unclear: ne], stamped "Reference A". Not knowing [unclear: hat] this meant he dutifully boarded the [unclear: lane]. On arrival in Sydney the "Reference "stamp was detected by a sharp-eyed [unclear: immration] officer, and he was bundled back [unclear: on-o] the plane and returned to New Zealand. [unclear: They] wouldn't even let him remain in the [unclear: ansit] Lounge, the normal practice for [unclear: peo-le] without visas on stop-overs.

He was then charged for the flight to and [unclear: om] New Zealand, as well as then having to [unclear: ay] the more expensive fare for the trip [unclear: ellington] / Auckland / Singapore. If the Australian High Commission had informed him that he would not be admitted into Sydney at least he would have been saved the cost of a wasted trip to Australia.

This sporadic labelling of "Reference A" to certain Malaysian students continued through the latter stages of 19-78. There seemed to be no particular standard against which these applications were considered. Indeed it almost looked as though every fifth student got "Reference A" stamped on their passport.

Over the Christmas period "Reference A" seemed to have a holiday. Salient knows of about 30 Malaysian students who were granted visitors permits to Australia during this period. But suddenly at the beginning of February, back it came. Since then it appears that every Malaysian student who has applied for a visitors permit has been stamped "Reference A".

This was carried to its ridiculous conclusion in the case of one student who applied for a visitor's permit before the clamp down, and received it. She then changed her mind and applied for a student permit as she wanted to study for a diploma course in Sydney. This permit was also granted. When she went to get her passport endorsed in February, however, she was refused both applications - "Reference A" strikes again.

What Salient would like to know is exactly what grounds are applied to students applying for visitors permits, and in particular why the shutt-off at the beginning of February.

When Andrew Tees spoke to Mr McArthur he was assured that there was no discrimination attached to the policy of "Reference A". He invited Tees or (presumably anyone else, to present any evidence of discrimination in the policy. This grand looking offer looks a little sour in the light of the secrecy which surround the application of the policy.

As far as Salient has been able to determine, no non-Malaysian students have become "Reference A's" in the way that these others have been (ie with no other qualification than being Malaysian students). None of those students bannned have been arrested whilst in New Zealand or committed any of the actions which normally debar people from certain countries.

The other question is, if the policy is indeed not discriminatory, and the Australian government is basing this policy on some evidence on the activities or attitudes of these students, Salient asks where does this evidence come from Is the Malaysian embassy continuing its spying campaign on students? Are New Zealand government departments providing the Australian immigration authorities with information?

Whether the Australian Government is working on a discriminatory basis or whether it is evaluating applications on the basis of information found from covert surviellence, it is an ugly situation. Salient would further add that, if the Australian government is indeed receiving "spy" reports, it should consider changing its information source. To the best of our knowledge, none of the 14 students who had their application rejected this month had been involved in any activities which would warrant the Australian government considering them as anything other than "bona fide" visitors.

The attitude of the Australian High Commission has not been particularly sympathetic. McArthur told Tees that the press claims were inaccurate (but not in which particulars) and that they were the result of "a few Malaysian students getting hysterical about the situation". It seems that McArthur confuses concern for hysteria. In their position I think overseas students have every right [unclear: uo] be both angry and concerned.

Salient believes that there are questions about this whole business which should be answered:

What does reference A mean?

Is "Reference A" a permanent restriction (ic will those students who have had "Reference A" stamped on their passports remain permanently ineligible for visitors permits)?

What are the criterion that students must satisfy to be regarded as "bona fide" visitors? and we invite the Australian High Commission to answer them.

Salient would be interested to hear from overseas (particularly overseas students who came from countries other than Malaysia) students, on this question — all letters will be treated as confidential unless otherwise stated.

Peter Beach