Australia: No Residency for Boy with Down Syndrome

A friend sent this Associated Press news article in the mail: ~~~"Sydney, Australia -- Thirteen- year-old
Lukas Moeller has Down syndrome. His father is a doctor who came to Australia from Germany to help fill a
shortage of physicians in rural communities. But now Australia has rejected Dr. Bernhard Moeller's application for residency, saying Lukas does not meet the 'health requirement' and would pose a burden on taxpayers for his medical care, education and other services. The case has provoked an out-cry in the rural region of south-eastern Victoria state, where Moeller is the only internal medicine specialist for a community of 54,000 people. Moeller vowed to fight the immagration department ruling. 'We like to live here, we have settled in well, we are welcomed by the community here and we don't want to give up just because the federal government doesn't welcome my son,' he told reporters. The doctor has powerful supporters. Victoria Premier John Brumby has pledged to support the family's appeal, and federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Friday she would speak to the immigration minister about the case. Moeller moved to Australia two years ago with his wife, Isabella, their daughter, Sarah, 21, and sons Lukas, and Felix, 17, to help fill a critical need for doctors in rural areas. They settled in Horsham, a town of 20,000 about 100 miles northwest of Melbourne. Moeller's temporary work visa is valid until 2010, but his application for permanent residence was rejected this week. In its decision, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship cited Lukas' 'existing medical condition,' saying it was 'likely to result in a significant and on-going cost to the Australian community," according to a statement on Thursday." My opinion is that these people in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship need an education!!! (Photo --Picture a traveling doctor...)