An Irish family is fighting against deportation after authorities determined their Australian-born son, who has cystic fibrosis, would be a burden on the health system there, New Scientist reports.
It adds children born in Australia to non-residents aren't automatically given citizenship and must apply along with their parents. The parents, Anthony and Christine Hyde, started the process of becoming permanent residents just prior to the birth of their son and learned after he was born that he had cystic fibrosis.
Because his condition would require medication and a lung transplant, immigration officials denied the Hyde family's application for residency, New Scientist says. It notes that Australia recently announced that it would subsidize the cost of ivacaftor (Kalydeco), a cystic fibrosis drug, making it AU$40 ($28) per prescription, while it is usually AU$300,000 a year.
The Hyde family has an online petition and hopes to catch the attention of Peter Dutton, the home affairs minister, to have him personally grant them residency by highlighting their contributions to their community in Victoria.