Ernest and Daphne Konschel are elderly and increasingly frail.
All their children and grandchildren are Australian citizens, residing in Australia.
They have been financially and emotionally supported by their children for over 17 years.

Having experienced the violent crime in South Africa first hand, their concerned children applied to keep their parents in Australia as their dependents.
Despite passing his visa medicals three years earlier, oddly, new medicals were called for.
Now 82, Mr. Konschel failed to meet the visa health criteria as he had begun to show signs of mental deterioration and early dementia.
Timely processing of the application would have resulted in a positive outcome!

A Migration Review Tribunal appeal was lodged.
After a further 18 months and the predictable deterioration in health, the MRT advised that unless Mr Konschel could miraculously pass yet another medical, they had no option but to uphold the rejection.

Unless the Minister of Immigration, the Honourable Chris Bowen, chooses to overturn this rejection on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, the increasingly frail and dependent Mr. and Mrs. Konschel will be deported back to South Africa where they have no home, no family support or access to the very limited state welfare.

Critical to managing dementia, is routine, familiar faces and environment. In other words family.

We appeal to the Minister of Immigration, for his intervention on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

An online search reveals the life of a man who has devoted a large portion of his life to developing landmine protected and detection vehicles which are still used today.
(The Leopard, Pookie and Cougar)

He does not deserve the uncertainty and stress this rejection has caused in his few remaining years.

Strong, supportive family structures should be encouraged, not destroyed.

Yours faithfully,