{"id":287202,"date":"2023-03-14T18:45:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T23:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=287202"},"modified":"2023-03-13T00:01:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T05:01:09","slug":"family-gets-reprieve-deported-down-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/family-gets-reprieve-deported-down-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Family gets reprieve after nearly being deported over son’s Down syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An Indian family living in Australia recently faced deportation because their son has Down syndrome and was deemed to be a “burden” on the Australian government’s healthcare system.<\/p>\n

It was only after a considerable outcry and media attention that\u00a0Immigration Minister Andrew Giles intervened and allowed the family permanent residency.<\/p>\n

ABC News reports<\/a> that Aneesh Kollikkara and Krishna Aneesh immigrated to the country in 2016 with their children. The couple recently applied for permanent residency but were told that their 10-year-old son,\u00a0Aaryan, failed the permanent visa test because it was perceived that his potential healthcare costs would be too much in the state-funded system. In its calculations, the government determined that looking after Aaryan would cost $664,000 over 10 years. However, the family argued<\/a> that they didn’t plan to utilize any special services, as Aaryan is high-functioning and attends a mainstream private school.<\/p>\n

Without the visa, the family was told they would have to leave the country by March 15. They exhausted all means of appealing the decision before their last resort, which was a plea to Giles to reverse the visa rejection.<\/p>\n

On the morning of March 8, Aneesh said she heard from Giles, who told her that he had intervened and that the family could stay.<\/p>\n