'Australia is home': Toowoomba family facing deportation overwhelmed by support from community

A couple wearing matching navy shirts stand side by side inside a small restaurant, with a food display and counter behind them.

Reyna said when she first came to Australia, she felt this was a country where "everyone is welcome, you're not a stranger'. Credit: SBS

Despite their eight-year-old child being born and raised in the country, restaurant owners Reyna Nangan and Karin Yechoku are still facing possible deportation, a situation that has drawn strong support from the local community and leaders.


Key Points
  • The family’s application for permanent residency failed after a former employer allegedly did not follow through with their visa processing, leaving them caught in a complex bureaucratic process.
  • Thousands of Toowoomba residents, along with the local Federal MP, have signed a petition urging the Immigration Minister to allow the family to stay in Australia.
  • While their initial request for ministerial intervention was denied, the family has filed a second appeal and is currently on a bridging visa as they await the government’s decision.

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