Lawyers for wrongly deported woman Vivian Alvarez are seeking what they call very substantial compensation to secure her a comfortable life in Australia with her family.
Ms Alvarez's legal team and the federal government today began arbitration to determine the level of compensation she'll receive for the four years she spent in a Filipino hospice following her deportation from Australia in 2001.
Ms Alvarez was deported when authorities incorrectly assumed her to be an illegal immigrant, after she was injured in a car accident in northern New South Wales.
The head of her legal team, former judge Marcus Einfeld, says she deserves a big compensation payment.
"I mean, obviously, there are medical expenses, there are expenses associated with her wheelchair, there are nursing care issues, loss of earnings, pain and suffering."