Mum who failed immigration test won’t be deported

Remember when Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said there would be “zero tolerance” for foreigners who are jailed for a year or more in Australia?

Well, it turns out it might not be the case.

According to the Herald Sun, one in five people who met Peter Dutton’s criteria for deportation have been allowed to stay in the country.

Among them is a Geelong mother of five, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for robbing a wheelchair bound woman with a steak knife.

As the Herald Sun reports, Kelly Webb was on a long-term visa from the UK when she committed the crime.

Her visa was subsequently before she was sent to an immigration detention centre, and after an eight month battle to fight her deportation, it’s been revealed she will be allowed to stay in the country.

It turns out Webb has been living in Australia since 1988, when she arrived as a two-year-old – and had a history of domestic violence and violent crime.

Not only did she commit a violent crime, but the Herald Sun also reports she failed an immigration character test.

But she won’t be eligible for citizenship for three years.

Her case is in stark contrast to two other cases you might have read about here on Starts at 60, including the recent case of a British war veteran being deported back to the UK.

In the 92-year-old’s case, he is being denied a visa because his health would “result in a significant cost to the Australian community in the areas of health care and community service”.

What do you think? Is there something wrong with Australia’s immigration system?