Irfani Family
IMMEDIATE RELEASE - NO EMBARGOS
Irfani Family
By Horus de Pixilate
Last month a young woman seeking a better life for her and her family died due to what I could only describe as
despicable neglect. Fatima's symptoms showed evidence of a serious illness and were ignored until her unfortunate and
tragic death. If she hadn't been locked up like an animal she surely would be alive today.
It was the failure of the duty of care that should have been provided her and any person caged like some lower lifeform
that enabled her illness to go ignored. If proper care had been provided her blood pressure and symptoms may have been
taken seriously and medical assistance might have been rendered. Fatima should have survived. Fatima's family, her
husband and three young children might still have a mother and a wife. Unfortunately they were made to endure our costly
border protection policy, which in the last year has claimed three hundred and sixty-nine lives.
The cost for imprisoning this family alone shows an extremist attitude and a clear lack of morals on behalf of our
government. The extreme lengths they would go to refuse only a few thousand people their right under international law
to seek asylum in this country should shame and sicken us all.
During the most volatile moments of his life, Mr Ali Reza Irfani was pressured to leave this country and return to the
nightmare from which he gone to such lengths to escape. During a time of mourning he was asked to sign papers
legitimising his return to war-torn Afghanistan. The 65 weeks that the family was made to endure in our concentration
camp policy caused and exacerbated pain for this persecuted Hazara family. After all that, it cost us tax payers just
under $700,000 to imprison them, by the time we include the cost of their removal, hotel in Dubai and expenses for
sending the body it almost tips this bill to over the $700,000 mark.
Meanwhile the surviving family members are back in a country where they seriously fear for their lives. At a cost an
average cost of $300 per person per day multiplied by five family members over the period of 65 weeks the cost became
$682,500.
$300 per person per day = $1,500
$1,500 multiplied by the number of day in a week = $10,500
$10,500 multiplied by 65 weeks (the period they were imprisoned) = $682,500
Then we would need to include the cost of 4 plane tickets to Dubai and then the connecting flight to Kubul. Then we need
to include the cost to transport the corpse. This cost doesn't include refrigeration as Ali informed friends in
Australia that they left the coffin on the tarmac while they waited in Dubai for their connecting flight to Kubul. When
you consider all this, I have no doubt that conservatively the entire cost to deny this family their human right to
freedom cost the Australian tax payer only fractionally short of $700,000.
Next we would have to include the specialist care that Fatima required because the extent of her illness. Considering
treatment was left to the last moment and every means was required in an attempt to save her I should imagine the
specialist care came at a huge cost also.
So. in the end both she and her family were betrayed by the system from which they sought assistance. Ali and the young
children ended back at the place in from which that had original fled after seeking refuge from persecution.
Well done Philip Ruddock (Australian Immigration Minister). Was it all worth it? Don't forget the biggest cost was worn
by the Irfani family.
Excuse me, I now have to run off and be violently sick.
ENDS