DIMIA: Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse

ABC reports that the Philppine born, naturalised Australian woman who was deported to her birth country is named as Vivian Alvarez, who also has been known as Vivian Solon. SMH gives more detail.

Now here's where it gets weird.

A Brisbane resident for 18 years and a mother of two children including a 9 year old in foster care, Alvarez dropped off one of her children for care at the Brisbane Town Hall creche on 16 Feb 2001 and never returned. The child was taken into care by the Department of Family Services. DFS reported Alvarez as a missing person in July 2001, listing both of her known names. Vivian reported some months after July for medical care in the northern NSW town of Lismore, some 160km from Brisbane, and registered for care under an assumed name.

She was said to be wheelchair bound and had head injuries, possibly sustained in a motor accident. She may have had communication problems or other aftereffects of a closed head injury.

Hospital officials alerted DIMIA. Unable to corroborate the fake name with any immigration record, she was deported from Brisbane Airport to the Philippines three days later.

The Rau case prompted Alvarez's family to inquire of Vivian's whereabouts. The Australian Federal Police have made inquiries of Philippine authorities, who have so far been unable to provide information. However, in contact with Philippine authorties, AFP left out the detail that Alvarez may have had psychiatric or trauma induced mental health problems and as such, Philippine hospitals and mental health facilities have not yet been searched.

Is is a mandatory requirement that Australian hospitals dob in to DIMIA anyone they think is in violation of immigration regulations? This is most curious.

I'm hoping that there's documentation of the auto accident which Alvarez is said to have had. All manner of other scary head injury scenarios leap to mind.

Anybody seen Senator Amounda Vanstone anywhere? Where the devil is she?

-weez