The mother and brother of a Pakistani student living in Australia have welcomed a decision to allow them visas to visit him after he was given weeks to live.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton initially refused them a visa, but announced on Wednesday he would grant them the right to visit Hassan Asif, a 25-year-old Pakistani man who came to Australia on a student visa.
"I'd asked the post in Islamabad to have a look at the case, to ask for additional information. That's happened and the visas have been approved," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told Sky News on Wednesday, less than half an hour after facing the media on the matter.
The announcement comes after calls for the visa decision to re-assessed after it was initially refused.
Hassan Asif's brother Ramiz Harif told SBS's Urdu program he and his mother were "excited and happy".
"My mother started crying out of joy because it has been almost two years since we have met each other," he said.
"We are very excited and happy. My brother will get better as soon as he sees us.
"I would like to thank everyone who helped us in getting this visa and see you soon."
The Labor party, Greens party and a Melbourne mission group caring for a terminally ill homeless man criticised the initial decision by the Immigration Department to deny an Australian visa to Asif's family, calling the decision "heartless".
Commenting on the decision, the Immigrant Department earlier said it would not review the visa application for Hassan Asif’s family to visit him before he dies, but had asked the family to lodge new application.
Pakistani man Hassan Asif first came to Australia in 2014 on a student visa, before he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic melanoma – skin cancer – April this year.
He wishes to see his family one last time before he dies.
Pressed multiple times on the matter throughout the week, the Department of Immigration has continued to offer its sympathies to the Asif family, but said it must be satisfied visa applicants will not overstay or refuse to return to their country of origin.
It has said the family presents a risk of not returning and will not review the initial application, but has asked them to lodge a new application.
Opposition Immigration Minister Richard Marles criticised the visa refusal as "disgraceful" and "heartless".
"Mr Dutton needs to immediately intervene and sort out this bureaucratic bungle," he said.
"If there is a legitimate national security risk that should be made clear. Otherwise, commonsense and compassion should prevail."
Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the decision needs to be reviewed and urged Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to reverse the decision on compassionate grounds.
“Clearly this decision can't stand. Not even Peter Dutton could stoop this low,” Senator Waters told the ABC.
“He needs to step in and review this decision immediately and allow this poor family the time to sadly say goodbye to their son.
However, Senator Waters admitted she was not sure whether the Minister Dutton had the power to make such a decision, but said she believes it has been done before.
“It's not my area of expertise, but the Immigration Minister traditionally has quite great discretion when it comes to these sorts of matters so he needs to urgently look into it and intervene as soon as possible,” she said.
“Their entire immigration policy needs an overhaul and needs some compassion inserted right into it but this could be one very small demonstration of compassion in the lead up to Christmas.”
Melbourne City Mission, which is currently caring for the 25-year-old, has launched an appeal for people to lobby the Immigration Department to change its decision.
“Melbourne City Mission is asking that Minister Dutton urgently re-open Hassan’s case and review the decision,” it posted on its website.
“Melbourne City Mission believes it is unconscionable that this young man - who has family - be allowed to die without a loved one by his side. Hassan has no family or community ties in Australia.”
Hassan Asif issued a plea of his own this week.
"I want to be with my family, my mother and my brother, this means a lot to me,” he told SBS World News.
