After minister’s intervention, autistic girl to remain in Australia
For close to four years, the case of Sumaya Bhuiyan would continually feature in the media—how a girl with autism is facing deportation despite living in Australia for many years because her “moderate development delay” would result in “significant cost” to Australian taxpayers.
The saga started in 2013 when her family’s petition for Permanent Residency was rejected and things came to a head when Sumaya Bhuiyan, 16, was ordered to book her flight out of the country by February 24 this year (2017).
Numerous petitions were sent to the Immigration minister and appeals made elsewhere but to no avail.
But, we are happy to inform that the case has had a happy ending with the Assistant Minister for Immigration, Alex Hawke, reconsidering his refusal to intervene, and granting Sumaya a permanent residency.
Sumaya’s mother, Dr Nasrin Haque, a GP in Blacktown, is elated and happy that difficult, trying times for the family are over.
This case has again put a spotlight on the issues concerning the migrants and how the Australian government treats such cases.
Australia has one of the best healthcare facilities in the world and no doubt for it to remain that way the authorities need to screen each case diligently.
But, it is one thing to not let migrants suffering with major ailments not come in the country and completely other to ask them to leave if they are already in.
What if Sumaya was a permanent resident already and her condition would have come to light later?
Thousands of migrants make Australia home each year and the government has been welcoming of them all. But this case points to a sort of cherry-picking where the government wants your talent to be best utilised here but if something goes wrong then you are on your own.
This is no way to burnish your image as a welcoming country for migrants.
But all’s well that ends well and it’s good to see that a policy error has been rectified.
