Australia faces pressure to change strict immigration policy blocking disabled people from living there.

Australia accused of discriminating against disabled migrants

When Luca was born in a Perth hospital two years ago, it flipped his parents’ world in ways they never expected.

With the joy came a shocking diagnosis: Luca had cystic fibrosis. Then Australia - Laura Currie and her husband Dante’s home for eight years - said they couldn’t stay permanently. Luca, his parents were told, could be a financial burden on the country.

“I think I cried for like a week - I just feel really, really sorry for Luca,” Ms Currie says. “He’s just a defenceless two-and-a-half-year-old and doesn’t deserve to be discriminated against in that way.”

With a third of its population born abroad, Australia has long seen itself as a “migration nation” - a multicultural home for immigrants that promises them a fair go and a fresh start. The idea is baked into its identity. But the reality is often different, especially for those who have a disability or a serious medical condition.

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    And after years of fighting for it, they are hoping for change in the coming weeks, with an official review of the health requirements under way.Laura Currie and Dante Vendittelli had moved from Scotland for jobs that Australia desperately needs.

    She and her husband Qasim fought to stay in Australia in a case that drew global attention.Their son Shaffan was born in 2014 with a rare genetic condition and a damaged spinal cord.

    Instead, he found jobs in cafes, in supermarkets and taxi apps to make ends meet.“They should realise that’s a very difficult situation - you shouldn’t put people in the limelight,” Ms Butt says.

    It’s a snag that has hit Claire Day’s plans for her and her family to follow her brother, who moved to Australia a few years ago.Her younger daughter Darcy, who is nearly 10, has Down Syndrome.

    Their social media feeds are full of promotional videos fronted by former British police officers, showing them living the Australian dream, patrolling the beach in sand buggies and relaxing in the surf.

    Social worker Shizleen Aishath says she was “gobsmacked” to find out about the health requirement - and she discovered it the hard way.A former UN employee, she came to Australia for a further degree with every intention of returning to the Maldives.

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