An Indian family living in Sydney has sought ministerial intervention in case of their son’s visa issue.
Vikas Khatta along with his wife Ranjot Kaur and two sons, lives in Westmead, Sydney and fears deportation for his younger son.
Khatta arrived in Australia in 2008 on a student visa with his wife and 9-month-old son.
During this time, the couple had another child. Danish Khatta was born in Australia on 27th April 2009.
While Ranjot pursued her studies and juggled her two kids, Vikas worked with Toll group in Sydney.
However, their world came crashing down when their younger son – Danish Khatta, fell from their 3rd floor apartment’s balcony in November 2013.
Source: Supplied
“My wife had gone downstairs to drop my elder son to a birthday party. My sister-in-law was home with Danish but she followed my wife out to tell her something at the last minute and she got locked out of the house with Danish inside alone,” Khatta told SBS Hindi.
“Our boy always would come out to the balcony to say goodbye to me when I left for work. That day, finding himself alone, he went to the balcony, thinking the family had left. We don’t know how he climbed onto the wall but when my wife returned, we found him lying on the ground floor, in a pool of blood,” he said describing what happened that night.
Danish was rushed to the Westmead hospital where the doctor described to the family how Danish had sustained severe, life-threatening injuries to his neck, skull and brain.
Danish at Westmead Hospital after his fall from the 3rd floor balcony. Source: Supplied
“He was unconscious for a month. Doctors told us he may never fully recover,” Khatta says. “But he slowly regained his appetite. His recovery was going well. He started walking with help. Doctors were surprised to see it but told us that intellectually, he is not recovering as his brain has been extensively damaged.”
While all this was going on, Khatta family decided to stay in Australia and continue his treatment. “Our son was born in Australia. We were in middle of so many things, we decided to stay here and so chose to do a Masters degree,” Khatta said.
Danish, undergoing treatment at Westmead hospital Source: Supplied
The family applied for another student visa based on Ranjot Kaur’s application in 2014.
However, this time the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, granted visas to Vikas, his wife Ranjot and their elder son but rejected little Danish’s visa. The department told the Khatta family that their youngest kid ‘did not clear the medical’.
“We have been paying taxes since 2008. We have borne all the expenses of Danish’s treatment and have private health insurance too. And yet the government feels that my child, who has lived here since the day he was born, will be a ‘financial liability on the community’,” says an anguished Khatta.
The family challenged the department’s decision in the Migration Review Tribunal. However, 20 days ago, the tribunal rejected their review appeal.
Danish, now attends a special school in Sydney. Source: Supplied
Time is running out for Danish. Danish must leave Australia by Friday. But the family hasn’t lost hope. “We plan to put it forward to the Immigration Minister for Ministerial review. We want the government to know that our child is part of the Australian community and he will not be a financial liability to the community as we have private health insurance. Currently he doesnt require any medicines or medical equipment as home or school. Our only plea is to allow him to stay in Australia,” the Khatta family pleads.
Khatta family has started an online to garner community support for ministerial intervention. The online petition so far has garnered 617 signatures.
