{"id":329436,"date":"2025-04-12T11:28:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T16:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=329436"},"modified":"2025-04-10T15:49:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T20:49:15","slug":"new-zealand-deporting-child-down-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/new-zealand-deporting-child-down-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand on verge of deporting child because he has Down syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A South African couple living in New Zealand claims their six-year-old son has been threatened with deportation solely because he has Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

According to the New Zealand Herald<\/a>, Sonandi and Ruan Geldenhuys moved to New Zealand last year. Their younger son was able to get a student visa despite not even being in school yet, but six-year-old Luandre’s visa was denied. \u201cIt really hits a person in the gut,\u201d Ruan said, while Sonandi added, \u201cSomeone is sitting there stating that he\u2019s not as good as his brother, just based on paper. They [immigration officials] haven\u2019t met him, they haven\u2019t seen him.”<\/p>\n

Luandre’s case was rejected the same day Immigration Minister Erica Stanford gave a speech saying that the children of some migrants would not be permitted to stay. \u201cFrom 17 March, dependent children of temporary visa holders will no longer be eligible for student and visitor visas if they have a severe cognitive or development disorder that requires significant support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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@nzherald<\/a>The 6-year-old child of a South African couple living in Waikato is being threatened with deportation because he has Down syndrome \u2013 a move his parents say is \u201cheartbreaking\u201d and \u201cdiscriminatory\u201d. Sonandi and Ruan Geldenhuys\u2019 son Luandre had his student visa declined despite his 2-year-old brother \u2013 who doesn\u2019t have the genetic condition and isn\u2019t at school yet \u2013 being given a visa by immigration officials. Ruan Geldenhuys told the Herald it feels like decision makers have decided his son is too much of a burden to be allowed to remain in New Zealand. \u201cIt really hits a person in the gut,\u201d he said. Ruan\u2019s wife, Sonandi, agreed, saying her son\u2019s diagnosis appeared to have been the only factor considered in the decision. \u201cSomeone is sitting there stating that he\u2019s not as good as his brother, just based on paper. They [immigration officials] haven\u2019t met him, they haven\u2019t seen him,\u201d she said. \ud83d\udd17 Get the full story via the link in our bio.\u266c original sound – nzherald<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n