Baby Mai and mother out of detention

A mother whose baby girl was dumped on a western Sydney doorstep has been released from immigration detention on a bridging visa.

A mother taken into immigration detention after her baby was dumped on a Sydney doorstep has been released on a bridging visa.

A surprised Auburn resident answered his doorbell in April to find a one-year-old baby girl abandoned on his doorstep.

The discovery of the girl, named by authorities as Mai, sparked an urgent public appeal to help find the mother.

Less than 24 hours after Mai was left with nothing but baby formula and a blanket, her 24-year-old mother came forward after recognising her daughter's picture in the media.

The mother was taken into immigration detention at Villawood in Sydney after it emerged she was not allowed to be in the country.

The Chinese national and her child were later moved to immigration housing.

Police are still trying to locate the baby's father over the doorstep-dumping incident.

The mother has avoided immediate deportation and is living in the community.

"I can confirm that the woman from the People's Republic of China ... has been released from immigration detention to live in the community on a bridging visa E (BVE) pending the outcome of their immigration matters," a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told AAP.

"Both mother and child are well."

The visa allows a person to stay in Australia while they await an immigration decision.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world