The Filipino single mother fighting against the deportation of herself and her two daughters which would separate them indefinitely from her eight-year-old son, has been granted a 12-month bridging visa extension after the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs intervened.
On Wednesday, with their deportation deadline exactly two weeks away, Brisbane-based aged-care worker Bernadette Romulo and her two daughters were issued their fourth reprieve.
“The Assistant Minister has used his ministerial intervention power to grant a 12-month reprieve to Bernadette Romulo and her family," a spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Filipino.
"This will give Ms Romulo time to finalise other outstanding matters."
The Brisbane-based mother arrived in Australia 11 years ago with her two young daughters, now aged 12 and 13, and her then-husband on a temporary working visa. After the couple separated, she had her son, Giro with a different partner. Ms Romulo and Giro's father subsequently also separated and she became his primary carer. Giro is now eight years old and an Australian citizen but cannot leave Australia because of his father's custody rights.
Ms Romulo and her children were initially meant to be deported on May 8 but were granted a reprieve until June 14.
The mother of three met with immigration officials last June 14. They were given a final extension and were told to leave the country by July 11, before their fourth reprieve was extended to a period of a year.
Under the Migration Act, the minister can still intervene at any time. Section 4.2.8 of the legislation's guidelines states: "Strong compassionate circumstances such that failure to recognise them would result in irreparable harm and continuing hardship to an Australian family unit or an Australian citizen.”
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