The Australian Ambassador to Bhutan, Patrick Suckling, confirmed that the visas of two Bhutanese in Perth, Australia, have been cancelled. Ambassador Patrick Suckling said the two have been given short-term visas so that they can arrange for return to Bhutan.
The two were among 30 Bhutanese working in a chicken farm in Perth, Australia. The immigration officials had investigated four of the 30 Bhutanese. Of the four, two were found to have worked excessive hours than what is permitted under their visa provisions.
“…They were found to be overworking in terms of the agreements they made when they came to Australia. And so, regrettably and sadly, those two had their visas cancelled,” said the Ambassador.
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The ambassador also said the short-term visa is given until such time to make arrangements to return to the country of origin. “… And it’s only a matter of weeks, not months.”
However, the ambassador said they have the right to appeal to the Migratory Review Tribunal. “… I am not sure if they have taken up the matter. But, if they do, they will be given a fair hearing.”
The Ambassador also assured that the incident will not affect other Bhutanese living in Australia.
“There should be no negative repercussions because we have a strong and committed policy of supporting education in Bhutan for the qualified, for the ones who get scholarships and for the ones who follow the guidelines and rules.”
Investigations for the rest of the Bhutanese working in the chicken farm is complete and there will be no further probe into it.
Today, excluding the spouses and children, there are 1,100 Bhutanese studying in various colleges and universities across Australia. The Ambassador said they are making a significant contribution to the Australian community.
