Australia deports African Children back to Zimbabwe for "the sins of their fathers"

Breadfruit · (#1 (**permalink**))

Zimbabwe student visas cancelled 'for sins of their fathers'
By Paula Kruger

The Australian Government is targeting the children of Zimbabwe's political leaders as it strengthens sanctions against the regime of President Robert Mugabe.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says he will revoke the visas of eight Zimbabwean students studying in Australia because their parents are senior leaders in President Mugabe's Government.

Zimbabwe may have once been the bread basket for its region, but that seemed hard to believe today, with the news that a stampede of shoppers desperate to buy sugar led to the deaths of two people, one of them a 15-year-old boy.

The stampede at a shopping complex in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo is just another symptom of the country's economic crisis - a crisis that has caused an official interest rate of 4,500 per cent and one that critics blame on the policies of Mr Mugabe.

'Smart sanctions'

The Australian Government has a series of so-called "smart sanctions" designed to affect individuals responsible for Zimbabwe's economy and human rights abuses.

Those measure were expanded on Friday to the children of the country's senior leaders who are studying in Australia.

Mr Downer was in Adelaide when he spoke about his decision.

"We have eight children of people in the Zimbabwean regime studying in Australia," he said.

"I've decided to cancel their visas so they can go back to Zimbabwe.

"They are of course being paid for to go to universities here in Australia, by their parents presumably.

"It's a tough thing to do but, to be honest, those regime people who are paying those fees are people who are doing immense damage to the people of Zimbabwe."

'Sins of their fathers'

When asked by a reporter whether he was punishing the children for the sins of their fathers, Mr Downer replied, "Yes, I am".

"I accept that and I reflected very carefully on that, but the fact is that the sins of the fathers, or the sins of the parents, are egregious sins," he said.

Mary Crock, an associate professor at Sydney University's Faculty of Law, says the Foreign Minister has the power to cancel visas under the Immigration Act.

"Migrants often get caught up in international politics, and that's what's happened in this case," she said.

"The migration legislation gives the Minister for Immigration very sweeping powers to cancel visas and to take people out of the country in a range of circumstances.

"One of those circumstances is where the Minister for Foreign Affairs has determined that the presence of these people in Australia are not in Australia's best interests."

Casting out children because of the sins of their parents may not sit well with some Australians.

Values

Most of the eight students are studying in Perth, and one West Australian listener told ABC Local Radio that it is good for the students to have an Australian education.

"I feel that they're probably getting a lot more of the values that we hold pretty dear in this country instilled upon them whilst they're over here under our education system and associating with our young people," he said.

"Perhaps they take that back home with them because they will be the leaders.

"If they're the children of the leaders that are there now, I'm quite sure they'll be the leaders in the country tomorrow.

"Maybe we could have an impact in a positive way instead of just saying, 'how about you get out', and then we're just another place that they don't like."

Privacy

Little is known about the eight students.

Mr Downer says privacy concerns prevent him from releasing personal details.

It is also hard to say what will happen to them when they return home to Zimbabwe.

Mr Downer told ABC Local Radio in Perth, despite added international pressure, Mr Mugabe is still in control.

"[Mr] Mugabe is just digging his heels in," he said.

"He has the support still of his own party, ZANU-PF, and the military, and so far that support is not weakening.

"Now, it might suddenly, maybe suddenly there would be a coup against the Zimbabwe Government, but we'll just have to wait and see."

Mr Downer says the group of eight students are the only Australian visa holders he is aware of who have close ties to Mr Mugabe's regime, but he did not rule out the possibility there could be more.

Zimbabwe student visas cancelled 'for sins of their fathers' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

LadyDay · (#2 (**permalink**))

not surprised because the Australian government is rascist and anything to dominate they will do.
this is just an excuse
i worked with one wp who lived in australia for years and he said rascism is big over there and common

if you check their immigration and visa policies you will see what i mean. they have quoatas on different countries entering

but hey

Kunjufu · (#3 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breadfruit

Zimbabwe student visas cancelled 'for sins of their fathers'
By Paula Kruger

[size="4"]The Australian Government is targeting the children of Zimbabwe's political leaders as it strengthens sanctions against the regime of President Robert Mugabe.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says he will revoke the visas of eight Zimbabwean students studying in Australia because their parents are senior leaders in President Mugabe's Government.

'Sins of their fathers'

When asked by a reporter whether he was punishing the children for the sins of their fathers, Mr Downer replied, "Yes, I am".

"I accept that and I reflected very carefully on that, but the fact is that the sins of the fathers, or the sins of the parents, are egregious sins," he said.

Mary Crock, an associate professor at Sydney University's Faculty of Law, says the Foreign Minister has the power to cancel visas under the Immigration Act.

"Migrants often get caught up in international politics, and that's what's happened in this case," she said.

"The migration legislation gives the Minister for Immigration very sweeping powers to cancel visas and to take people out of the country in a range of circumstances.

"One of those circumstances is where the Minister for Foreign Affairs has determined that the presence of these people in Australia are not in Australia's best interests."

Casting out children because of the sins of their parents may not sit well with some Australians.

Values

Most of the eight students are studying in Perth, and one West Australian listener told ABC Local Radio that it is good for the students to have an Australian education.

"I feel that they're probably getting a lot more of the values that we hold pretty dear in this country instilled upon them whilst they're over here under our education system and associating with our young people," he said.

"Perhaps they take that back home with them because they will be the leaders.

"If they're the children of the leaders that are there now, I'm quite sure they'll be the leaders in the country tomorrow.

"Maybe we could have an impact in a positive way instead of just saying, 'how about you get out', and then we're just another place that they don't like."

Zimbabwe student visas cancelled 'for sins of their fathers' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[size=3] Interesting line taken by the Australians...I wonder if this applies across the board? If so Can we now stop having the whinging Europeans bleating on about not being connected to slavery..based on the Australian behaviour...we can now connect the actions of their forefathers to their ancestors....

Secondly If it is now legitimate to punish the children of leaders of countries that the West dislikes..can the West complain when people take the same tack with children of their leaders whom they blame for atroscities...nor should they complain when target so called 'innocent' people because according to the Australians you're now guilty by association...

Finally I find this Australian position totally hypocritical, it wasn't that long ago that it was a bloody struggle to get Countries like Australian to even consider the word 'sanctions' against South Africa... in fact it would have been considered abhorent to even consider targeting the children of PW botha..yet now because the leader is BLACK, it appears fair game to target their children..typical!!!

Nightz · (#4 (**permalink**))

Mugabe has run down all the local universities so he needs to take his kids overseas for a good education. If Zanu PF says Zimbabwe is fine their kids should never leave the country.

Dark Opal · (#5 (**permalink**))

This post has made me think about the manner in which African leaders have neglected the opportunity to build meaningful educational institutions for their own, remaining untouched by the plight of the masses who have had no choice but to make do with an obsolete educational system based on the colonial model, afterall, they could always send their little urchins abroad.
But now one lender has slammed the door shut in the face of the constant borrower. Of course Oz's reaction was a petulant gesture by those possessed of a colonial mentality at the audacity of the dispossessed to disrupt their (the Aussie's) kin of their ill - gotten comfort.
However, perhaps other African leaders looking on may now seek to redress this humilation of constantly having to go elsewhere by doing what ought to have been done all these years, revamping the education in their respective countries instead of dancing round the globe cap in hand.
After all their children too might end up having to face the same bleak education they have condemned others to for so long.

Nightz · (#6 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenleg

Zim never had class universities to start with. The only African nation with respectable universities are South Afica (esp Witts) and Egypt (ACU, Cairo University).

Then you have obviously never heard of the UZ. One of the men (Chetsanga) responsible for mapping the the human genome came from there. Also the world class historian Terence Ranger. Also Lawrence Levy the first neurosurgeon in Africa to mention only but a small few. In the 70's the place was in actual fact one of the best universities in Africa.

Besides you completely missed the point. These guys shouldn't run down their countries only to send their kids overseas to Europe.

Oblivion · (#7 (**permalink**))

Well, it's good to see Australia's ABC News has got its priorities staight.

The reporter should be applauded for focusing on the plight of the REAL innocent victims here..... the sons and daughters of rich, corrupt Zimbabwean officials!

Someone pass me a hanky.

The fact that 8 students are denied visas for studying abroad should be given much more attention than the fact that millions of Zimbabweans are on starvation rations, or the fact that so many Africans need to leave the continent in the first place. They're just peasants after all - who cares what happens to them?

They should have done the same back in WW2 - instead of focusing on ending the Jewish holocaust, the West should have focused on the plight of the children of Nazi officials! That would have made a much bigger difference....

Nightz · (#8 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenleg

University of Zimbabwe is a joke.

Thats what you get from 27 years of mismanagement and mis-rule.