WA: Ruddock asked to let two year old stay in Australia

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-1999
WA: Ruddock asked to let two year old stay in Australia

PERTH, April 16 AAP - Federal Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock has been asked to use his
discretionary power to allow a two-year-old boy facing deportation to China to remain in
Australia.

This would also give his parents refugee status on humanitarian grounds, lawyer Richard
Egan, from the Independent Council for Refugee Advocacy, said today.

Earlier this week the full Federal Court ruled that Shi Hai Chen, who was born at the Port
Hedland refugee detention centre in 1996, did not qualify for refugee status.

Today Mr Egan said he had written to Mr Ruddock, asking him to admit the boy on
humanitarian grounds.

"The question for him is are you going to have a heart or not?" Mr Egan said.

"Really this family is no threat to Australia at all".

The child's parents, Chen Ren Bing and Tang de Ting, together with their first son Andrew,
came to Australia by boat in November 1994.

They were allowed to stay in Australia in June last year on the basis that they had a
"well-founded fear of persecution" if they returned to China because they had violated China's
one-child policy and had borne children out of wedlock.

The decision was reviewed and overturned following an appeal by Mr Ruddock.

The family has 21 days to lodge a High Court appeal against the Federal Court ruling.

Mr Egan said West Australian Legal Aid had agreed to fund the appeal if it went ahead.

AAP pr/cjh/br

KEYWORD: CHEN (CARRIED EARLIER)

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