Please grant Ali Choudhry a visa to remain in Australia. Ali is facing deportation to Pakistan this Wednesday after his application for a visa was refused, despite being in a relationship with his partner Matt for nearly four years. If deported, there is a risk Ali could be imprisoned for life in Pakistan, where being openly gay carries a long jail sentence. Having grown up in the United States, Ali is also unable to read or write the local language.
Why is this important?
Ali is facing deportation, back to a country where there is life imprisonment for being gay. He’s never lived in Pakistan and he doesn’t read the language.
Ali Choudhry and Dr Matthew Hynd were one of the first gay couples in Queensland to register their civil union on 12 March, 2012. Unfortunately their union was short lived due to the Queensland Government retrospectively making the unions null and void 12 weeks after their ceremony.
Nearly two years later Mr Choudhry now faces deportation to Pakistan after his application for a visa recognising his relationship with Dr Hynd was refused. He says he cannot understand why theirs is not considered a legitimate long-term partnership, and neither can I. Please help me build the public pressure urging Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to grant Ali a visa to remain in Australia.
http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/don-t-deport-ali-choudhry