After eight years in Australia, 16 year old Sumaya Bhuiyan, with autistic spectrum disorder, could be deported from Australia . Sumaya, failed a health test based on her disability, placing the family in an impossible position.
Sumaya Bhuiyan is facing imminent deportation this week from Australia after Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke refused to reconsider her impending deportation.
A tribunal ruled Sumaya's impairment meant she would require government-funded support for her care, and it was on this basis her visa was refused.
Dr Nasrin Haque arrived in Australia with her two children, Saumya (15) and Sakir (14), in 2009. Dr Haque is a full-time practising GP in New South Wales. She says her employer considers her to be a “valuable asset for the Australian community”, and that with her permanent position as a GP, she will be able to support her family financially without any help from the state.With many members of her extended family living in Australia, and her children having lived here for the past eight years, she says they will not be able to cope up.
“Although Sumaya and Sakir were born in Hungary, they are no longer able to speak Hungarian since they have been fully integrated into Australian society for 8 years now.”
Sumaya's mother Dr Nasrin Haque, who is a practicing GP, says her daughter has not received any government-funded care for her condition, and would not require it in future. She said "We did not need any care not even for one hour because we always look after my daughter. And at the same time I work full time so that means there is no reason. The doctor said the condition did not have any impact on this community. The only thing is she goes to a special school."
Sumaya's father Doctor Shafiqul Bhuiyan says he was horrified, when he received the news, he still lives in Hungary where the family has citizenship. He's been in Australia visiting his family. Shafiqul says the situation is tearing the family apart. He said, "We are debating what to do and she feels that and her condition is going to deteriorate, she is not eating. She knows what we are talking about. She cannot express actually, she has got some difficulty of expression."
Doctor Shafiqul Bhuiyan father of Sumaya expressed his deep concern "When we got a letter from the lawyer that the visa was refused that minister did not intervene then we are talking about the situation and what will happen with our family. It means that if I take her back to Hungary then she can't see her mother."
After eight years of school in Australia, Sumaya's 14 year old brother, Sakir, also fears for the impact of the move on his sister, who has a developmental delay.
"She has some friends now who she can recognise and she likes it here. She is used to living here so if she moves it will be really stressing for her."
A spokesman for the department of Immigration says Assistant Minister Alex Hawke cannot be compelled to exercise his powers or explain his decisions.
Now, as the 16 year old girl faces imminent deportation, the community has rallied in support.
An online petition has been set up as a last attempt to keep the family together.
Share
