Latifar with her baby. (SBS)
By 9News Australia
December 04, 2013
Lawyers for a Rohingya asylum seeker's baby,
who was born in Australia, have applied for a protection visa for the newborn.
Ferouz was born in a Brisbane hospital last
month after his mother Latifar, his father and two siblings were transferred
there from a Nauru detention centre.
The family, who come from Myanmar, do not want
to return to the Pacific Island nation because premature Ferouz and his mother,
who suffers from diabetes, are still very weak.
Last week their lawyers struck a deal with the
Department of Immigration allowing the family to stay in Brisbane until their
case was heard for "procedural fairness".
Maurice Blackburn associate Murray Watt says
an application for a protection visa for Ferouz was lodged on Wednesday.
"Ferouz's family come from a persecuted
minority group in Myanmar that is not recognised as citizens by the government
there," Mr Watt said in a statement.
"For that reason, baby Ferouz is
considered stateless and, having been born in Australia, he is entitled to
apply for a protection visa.
"We strongly urge the federal government
to grant this protection visa for Ferouz, and we will also be seeking
protection for his family to ensure they can remain together, as any reasonable
person would expect."
Mr Watt said Ferouz was likely to apply for
Australian citizenship at a later date.
The family's bid to stay in the country is due
to be aired in the Federal Circuit Court on March 21.
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