Grandma given vaccine exemption now facing deportation over jab status

Claire Henderson travelled to Perth from the UK to see her family after not seeing them for almost three years because of the pandemic.

The 64-year-old’s son Michael said her visa, G2G pass and vaccination exemption were all approved in November last year.

The Manchester woman has been granted a vaccine exemption because she has temporal arteritis, which causes the arteries in her head to become inflamed.

But when Ms Henderson landed in Perth on Monday evening, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers stopped her and denied her entry.

“It didn’t make any sense,” Michael said.

For two days now Ms Henderson has been placed in isolation at the Holiday Inn in Perth.

She was originally set to be deported on Tuesday night but that flight was delayed until Thursday as the ABF investigated her case further.

The Department of Home Affairs and the ABF haven’t responded to 9News requests for comment.

“It’s the federal government’s responsibility in respect to international borders and it’s their rules that have resulted in her being deported,” WA Police Minister Paul Papalia said.

Michael says this situation is devastating for his mother.

“Talking to her on the phone; she was a broken woman.”