Attention: The Honourable Tony Burke, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

 

The purpose of this petition is to draw attention to the case of UK citizen, Arlo Stephens, who is fighting deportation from Australia. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The facts: 

Arlo has been in Australia since 2018. 
Arlo has 3 children who are also tied to his immigration status.

Arlo is a UK qualified Farrier (DWCF - Diploma Worshipful Company of Farriers) with 33 years experience starting with a 5 year UK apprenticeship. https://www.wcf.org.uk/
Arlo then went on to train 6 new UK farriers to completion.

Arlo runs a farrier business here in Australia and is paying Australian taxes.
Arlo is trusted not only with horses, but by local zoos who use him to care for the many hooved beasts that also need the services of a farrier that truly knows what he’s doing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arlo employs a female trainee, who has worked with him for 3.5years. 

Arlo lives and is deeply engaged in the rural NSW community of Bungendore and surrounds.

 

Arlo, despite bringing so much to his community and our country, is being asked to leave. 

 

Opinion: 

Arlo hasn’t been sitting around - he has been proactive in his attempts to resolve his immigration from the moment he arrived. 

 

However, immigrating to Australia is no easy thing. 

 

The paths to legally staying here are not straightforward, even when the candidate is doing everything that is asked of them. 

 

While there is a cottage industry of immigration professionals and lawyers and those who suggest that they are in the know, their advice comes at a cost. 

 

It’s a cottage industry that feeds upon desperation - and has no accountability. 

It’s also perfectly legal. 
However, in Arlo’s case, it’s also devoid of any moral underpinnings - offering  little more than a shrug when asked about success rates and costs.

 

To be clear, there is no suggestion here that any strategies mentioned have involved bribery of any sort. 

 

And now, after years of attempting to resolve his status, Arlo’s immigration file is a scrambled mess. 

 

Primarily as a result of multiple contacts with bureaucratic instruments through these alleged immigration agencies. 

That said, even though something should be done about the arguably exploitative nature of such agents, this petition isn’t about the morally questionable quiet and profitable private immigration industry.

 

No, this petition is about Arlo and his kids. 

 

Australia needs more people like Arlo, not just because he is a farrier living in a country where farriers are in very short supply, but because he wants to be able to finally settle and watch his kids finish school here.

 

He wants to keep training young farriers in a trade that is overwhelmed by demand from horse owning customers. 

 

He wants to be a permanent part of the community he has called home for the last 7 years.

 

We need more skilled workers. We need more Arlos. 

 

But we really need this Arlo, and he really needs us. 

 

Please forward this petition to anyone you know.

Contact Facebook groups of any political position and ask that they support it as well.