Perth,Western Australia - A New Zealand woman convicted of drug trafficking in Western Australia is facing deportation after the Administrative Appeals Tribunal upheld the cancellation of her visa.Melissa Lee Rodgers, 31, was sentenced in April 2022 to a minimum of three years and six months imprisonment in the Perth District Court after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply.
Rodgers was arrested during a drug run where she was expected to be paid between $500 and $1000 per drop. Authorities cancelled her visa under Section 501 of the Migration Act, wich allows for the deportation of non-citizens who have been convicted of serious crimes.
During her incarceration at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison, Rodgers completed rehabilitation courses and gained qualifications in catering, cleaning operations, and workplace health and safety. She was named the 2023 vocational student of the year and worked full-time in the prison kitchen. Rodgers argued to the tribunal that she had reformed, removed negative influences from her life, and secured a job offer for upon her release.
Tribunal senior member Aaron Suthers acknowledged Rodgers’ rehabilitation efforts but ultimately ruled that the protection of the Australian community outweighed her personal circumstances. “The applicant says that she is now a different person to the one who offended and that she was young and naive at the time of her offending and was easily manipulated,” Suthers noted in his decision. “She says that she knows that she will not reoffend or commit any other offences in Australia.” Despite this, the visa cancellation was upheld.
A psychologist’s report presented during sentencing indicated Rodgers had a tendency to seek approval from others and was vulnerable following a relationship break-up. The judge described her as “immature and finds it difficult to say no.”
Rodgers has family – a father, mother, stepfather, and two siblings – residing in New Zealand. she is not eligible for parole until April 2027, at the earliest.