Aussie minister halts deportation of Bangladeshi child with autism

The Australian assistant minister for immigration has granted permanent residency to a 16-year-old girl of Bangladesh-origin who was initially ordered to leave the country, local news media have reported. Sumaya Bhuiyan, daughter of Dr Nasrin Haque, a Bangladeshi who has been working in Sydney for eight years, was told to leave along with her mother by Friday, after immigration health checks found Sumaya had a "moderate developmental delay" that would “result in significant cost” to Australian taxpayers. On Friday, Australian Assistant Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke reconsidered his refusal to intervene and granted Sumaya permanent residency. Nasrin's parents and siblings are all Australian citizens. Sumaiya has been living with the family in Sydney for eight years now. Nasrin is a general practitioner in Windsor and Pitt Town, in Sydney’s west. Nasrin's application for permanent residency for herself, her son Sakir and Sumaya was rejected in 2013. Since then she has tried all avenues for overturning the decision, including writing to the immigration minister. She also launched an online petition, where she said her daughter was an independent girl with strong computer skills who managed her everyday activities on her own. “The Australian government is concerned that my daughter will be a financial burden on the state. Although she does attend a special school, she has not received any other support from the state during her eight years in Australia,” she wrote. Nasrin's fellow doctors also raised their voices on the issue, calling the government's attitude towards autism “reprehensible.” Autism Awareness Australia said the decision carried a “disgusting undertone.” After announcing the decision, Alex Hawke told The Blacktown Sun, a local newspaper, that cases like Symaya's were "always complex" and involved many factors including immigration history, health, character and other issues. "In some cases, all of the relevant information is not immediately available and a final decision can only be made after all matters have been thoroughly considered," he said.