Australia's policy on visa's towards Papua New Guineans

Its an absolute disgrace, Australia's attitude towards Papua New Guineans at the High Commission. What's even worse is the apparently racist attitude that the Papua New Guinean staff have towards their own country folk.

As a former Australian citizen and long term resident of PNG (I have been here since I was an infant) and married to a Papua New Guinean, I have sponsored relatives on several occasions to travel to Australia for short stays, for weddings, funerals and shopping trips.

It's the same each time, and it's getting worse. The Papua New Guinean applicant first has to endure a half day wait in the sun or rain in the car park just to get a number to lodge an application (the High Commission has supplied cheap gazebos to provide shelter in the car park, these are useless).

From the time applicants finally get to the counter to lodge their application, they are immediately treated with suspicion and contempt by the PNG officer who serves them.

Of course my story is the same as everybody else's. The High Commission demands sensitive and personal information that they never acknowledge receipt of, the whole process can take months just to get a one month visa.

It appears that the Australians have Papua New Guineans on an automatic "at risk blacklist", something carried over from the pre-colonial White Australia Policy.

What's really insulting is Papua New Guinea's history with Australia, especially that of WWII where Papua New Guineans played a critical role in defending Australia from Japan during the war.

Now a Citizen of Japan can apply for an Australian Electronic Travel Authority online and a visa is granted on arrival in Australia. Papua New Guinea gives visas to Australian nationals on arrival at the airport as well. Yet the humble Papua New Guinean who's ancestors helped protect Australia from Japan during the war is made to jump through near impossible hoops.

My latest bad experience with the Australian High Commission involved an application for citizenship by descent for one of my children, whose mother is a Papua New Guinean but not my wife. My child is entitled to Australian citizenship by decent as I was an Australian at the time of the child's birth.

Now, my child lives with me and my family, I am listed as my child's father on the original birth certificate issued in the child was was born, 1996. The High Commission told me they don't accept the old birth certificates anymore, so I was forced to get a new one issued in 2011.

So i filled out the relevant forms, supplied two birth certificates, a copy of their PNG passport, certified photographs etc etc, everything stated in the act that is required.

I have now been told that they are not satisfied that I am my child's father and that the documents I have supplied are not sufficient to make a decision.

I have asked repeatedly what else they want from me in the way of documentation? I can provide school reports, doctor's reports, family photos, whatever they want. They have not responded.

Now they want me to take a DNA test, which I am quite happy to do. But here's the cruncher, they want ME to pay for it and it has to be with their approved testing lab and be witnessed by them at a cost of over K4,000.00.

Now I know that I have complied with the act, I have provided all the correct documents and certifications to them as required by the act, however someone inside the High Commission has decided to give me a hard time based on an assumption.

So now I am forced to not only spend a huge amount of money, I have to put my family through emotional distress, especially my child whilst we prove that I am the father.

I have complained to the Australian Minister, the High Commissioner and others about this and other issues to no avail. The standard generic response is that "policy requires us to do this"

Out of shear frustration I decided to create this Facebook Group, I hope someone in Australian Migration takes notice.
  
Simon Merton

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