Asylum seekers: lawyers apply for citizenship for baby born in Brisbane
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Version 0 of 1. Lawyers for an asylum-seeker family have lodged a citizenship application for their baby, who was born in Australia. Baby Ferouz was born in Brisbane in November after his mother, father and two siblings were transferred there from the Nauru detention centre. The family, from Burma, have been fighting against being returned to Nauru because Ferouz, who was born premature, and his mother, who has diabetes, are still weak. Earlier this month the law firm acting for the family applied for a protection visa for the newborn. On Friday the firm said it had lodged a citizenship application for the child. "Ferouz was born in Brisbane. He has a Queensland birth certificate and there is no other country where he has a right to citizenship," Maurice Blackburn associate Murray Watt said in a statement. He said Ferouz's family was from the persecuted Rohingya minority group in Burma and the government there did not recognise them as citizens. "Only last month the government of Myanmar rejected a United Nations resolution urging it to grant citizenship to the Rohingya," Watt said. "In these circumstances, the law is clear that baby Ferouz is entitled to Australian citizenship and therefore to remain in Australia permanently." He again called on immigration minister Scott Morrison to show some compassion and allow the family to remain in Australia. Watt said the protection visa application lodged for the baby last week was still being considered by the government. Comment from Morrison has been sought. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |