Filipino family living in Bell claim they face deportation because autistic son burden on taxpayers

‘We just keep hoping’: Filipino couple face deportation from Australia because their 11-year-old son suffers from autism and is a ‘burden’ on taxpayers

  • Filipino family said they face deportation from Bell a town in south Queensland
  • They claimed it was because son with autism would be burden on taxpayers
  • Geraldine Custodio said the permanent residency application was turned down
  • Department of Home Affairs said it does not comment on individual cases 

A Filipino family claim they face deportation because their son, who is living with autism, would be a financial burden to Australian taxpayers.

Geraldine and Geofrey Custodio have been living with their four children in Bell – a remote town 250km northwest in Brisbane – since 2014.

The couple applied for a permanent residency in hopes to stay in the country and raise their family, ABC reported.

They say the application was turned down because the healthcare system would not accommodate their 11-year-old son Gain.

According to Australian immigration policy, visas won’t be given to someone if the cost of care is more than $40,000.

Geraldine and Geofrey Custodio have been living with their four children in Bell – a remote town 250km northwest in Brisbane – since 2014 (pictured, Geraldine Custodio and partner Geofrey)

Mrs Custodio said the rejection has placed a strain on the family.

‘We don’t want the boys to blame the special needs of their brother for any unfortunate thing that will happen in our life,’ she said. 

Mrs Custodio compared the services for special needs children in the Philippines, and noted Australia outpaced the country in that respect.

‘The openness and the acceptance of kids with special needs is way better here in Australia than in the Philippines.’

Gain is non-verbal and requires ongoing access to services such as speech, psychological and dietary therapy.

The family say they are determined to cover the costs themselves and will appeal the decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 

‘We just keep hanging on and hoping … we’ll just have to prove that we deserve it,’ Ms Custodio said on their permanent residency application.

Joanne Rodney – who works at the same Bell State School as Mrs Custodio – said that Gain had made big strides in his development.

‘Since he’s arrived in 2014, you can just see how far he’s come with the stability that this community has given him,’ she told the ABC. 

She said the parents were great role models in the community – Mrs Custodio works as a teacher’s aide and runs a takeaway cafe and her husband works in a piggery.

The Department of Home Affairs said it does not comment on individual cases.

‘Most visas for Australia require applicants to meet the migration health requirement set out in Australian migration law,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Austaralia.

‘The health requirement is not condition-specific and the assessment is undertaken individually for each applicant based on their condition and level of severity. 

‘It is an objective assessment to determine whether the care of the individual during their stay in Australia would likely result in significant costs to the Australian community or prejudice the access of Australian citizens and permanent residents to services in short supply.’ 

The family say they are determined to cover the cost of services themselves and will appeal the decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal

The family say they are determined to cover the cost of services themselves and will appeal the decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk