Perth,Westernโ Australia โ- A New โZealandโ woman convicted of drug trafficking โฃin โคWesternโข Australia โis facing deportation after the Administrative Appeals Tribunal upheld theโ cancellation โof her visa.Melissa Lee Rodgers, 31, was sentencedโฃ in April 2022 to a minimum of โthreeโข years โand six months imprisonment in the Perth District โฃCourt after pleadingโฃ guilty to โpossessing methamphetamine withโค intent to sell or supply.
Rodgers was arrested duringโฃ a drug run where she wasโ expected to be paid between $500 and $1000โค per drop.โค Authoritiesโ cancelled โฃher visa under Section โข501 ofโข the Migration Act, wichโ allows for the deportation of non-citizens who have beenโ convicted of serious crimes.
During her incarceration atโฃ Eastern Goldfields Regional โขPrison, โคRodgers completed rehabilitation courses and gained qualifications in โcatering, โขcleaning operations, and โขworkplace health and safety. She โฃwas named โคthe 2023 vocational student of the year and worked full-time in the prison kitchen. โฃRodgers argued to the tribunal thatโฃ she had reformed, removed negative influencesโ from herโข life, โand secured a job offer for uponโ her release.
Tribunalโ senior memberโ Aaron Suthers acknowledged โRodgers’ rehabilitation efforts โbut ultimately ruled that the protection of the Australian โคcommunity outweighed โher personal circumstances.โฃ “The applicant says that she is now a different person to the one โคwho offended and that she was young and naive โฃat the time โคof her โขoffending and โwas easily manipulated,” Suthers noted โฃin his decision. “She says that โคsheโค knows that she โwill not reoffendโ or commit any other โoffencesโข in Australia.” Despite this, the visa cancellation was upheld.
A psychologist’s โreport presented during sentencing indicated Rodgers โฃhad a tendency to seek approval fromโฃ others andโข was vulnerable following a relationship break-up. The judge described her โas “immature andโค finds it difficult to say no.”
Rodgers has family – a father, mother, stepfather, and two siblings – residing in New Zealand. she isโ not eligible for parole untilโฃ April 2027, at the โคearliest.