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British couple claims their 'future is uncertain' after being threatened with deportation by Australian government
Apr 7, 2025
A British couple fears deportation by the Australian government after being diagnosed with a medical condition, which has led authorities to deem their healthcare costs "too expensive" for Medicare.Jessica Mathers and Rob O'Leary moved to Sydney, Australia in 2017 and had no issues with their visas, until Mathers was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) three years ago.FULL STORY HERE.
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The British couple are facing deportation from Australia
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after Jessica Mathis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It comes after the pair settled down, down under, in 2017
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It was going to be their home, but they've now been told they might have to move
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So let's join them. Let's speak to them now. We're joined by both Jessica Mathis and Rob O'Leary
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Morning to you both. Thank you so much. We were really touched by your story
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So, Jessica, you're only young. I think you're only 30, are you
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So it must have been a terrible shock diagnosis to get MS
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Yeah, I mean, you don't really hear of people getting it diagnosed that young
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but also they are getting just better at diagnosing it and better treatments are coming out now
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So I'm feeling quite lucky that it won't be such a severe case in the future
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So are you already on medication, Jessica? Yeah, I was diagnosed three years ago and I've been on medication
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I've been on Ocovus, which is like a six-month infusion I get in hospital every six months
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Now Rob you very clearly not Australian We can hear that from the accent But you lived there for a little while now Tell us what going on You settled in Australia Whereabouts are you And what have the authorities said to you about your future there
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Well, look, so we've been here nearly 10 years now, and ever since Jessica was diagnosed
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that was when we kind of found out through the immigration department, just via an email
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that we might not be able to stay in the country due to Jessica's diagnosis
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Obviously, with that email, there was no kind of consideration of our previous life
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It was kind of we're basing it off what's happened there. And that was kind of it
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So it made the whole future really uncertain for us, you know
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I can't really progress. I couldn't progress with my business. Jess struggled with work
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So it's been a difficult situation, you know. And Rob, just to explain, because a lot of people went
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there's no NHS in Australia like we have here. So you have to pay a contribution at least towards Jess's care
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We pay a Medicare levy via our taxes but generally we pay towards our appointments yes and any associated costs that aren included with tests And so that the logic from the Australian government is
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I'm really sorry, but you're going to be very expensive to keep here and therefore you're going to have to go back to the UK
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Yeah. Yeah, that's correct. That is pretty much like how it is
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and that's how it's explained in the written documents we've got, you know
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So I don't meet the Medicare minimum requirements for the visa. And haven't you also said you'll pay for your own care
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You'll pay more towards the private section of your care effectively? Yeah, that's correct
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When we first appealed it, we said, is there an option to boost our private health care or to even pay for the treatment
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And that isn't an option. It's not something that they allow for
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It's kind of black and white. The law doesn't allow for any consideration, any compassionate grounds
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That's what we're kind of appealing against, saying that this should be. And you both appealing Jessica and Rob but what are you doing now to try to fight this So we obviously started the petition
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If you're listening on the radio, there's a JustGiving site. Is it JustGiving? Please do not deport me and my partner
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Change.org, please not deport me and my partner. So you're looking for donations, are you, to help you fight this legally
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So it's donations towards the change campaign. So it's not money that we would receive
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It's just to promote it within change so people will get emails with our petition, you know, if they like similar cases or similar subjects
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OK, so it's not a fundraiser as such. It's a petition to try and change it, not just for you, but for everybody
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What happens next and what kind of timescale are you looking at? The government, we basically actually got rejected 18 months ago and we have been waiting ever since
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And we've not really heard anything. We haven't even received a tribunal date. so at present we're waiting on the tribunal
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date because the minister has since started the petition said that he won't do anything until after
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that. Okay, alright well look, we wish you all the best, keep us posted
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won't you Jessica Mathis and Rob O'Leary there
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