Australian immigration officials deny racism claim from football club chairman
January 20 2010 by Liam Clifford
The Australian immigration department has denied claims, from Gold Coast United chairman Clive Palmer, that its systems are racist.
The scathing attack on Australia’s famously welcoming immigration
system followed the decision to reject an application from an unnamed Ghanaian
soccer trialist for an Australia work visa that would have allowed him to work
in Australia and try out for the Gold Coast team.
Palmer sparked
controversy after claiming the refusal of the man’s visa harked back to the
late-1970s ‘white Australia policy’.
However, in response to the tirade,
the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship denied the player had
been refused a visa and said his case was still being looked at. A spokesperson
for Australia immigration said, ''the decision to grant or refuse a visa will be
made in accordance with the law and will take into account the individual's
circumstances and all relevant criteria relating to the grant of the
visa.''
"Our visa and migration programs are not racist or
discriminatory,'' added the spokesperson. ''The Australian Government makes no
apology for taking a risk-based approach to its immigration program."
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