Minister Andrew Giles to look at Aneesh family case before they are deported over son’s disability

A family from India who have been living in Australia for seven years have been told to pack up and leave, with the Immigration Department declaring their son with Down Syndrome is a ‘burden’ on the health system.

Aneesh Kollikkara and Krishna Aneesh, who made a home in south Perth with their two children are devastated to be facing deportation next Wednesday after their permanent residency application was denied.

Both Mrs and Mr Aneesh work in critical industries which are facing staff shortages – Mrs Aneesh in cybersecurity and Mr Aneesh in critical telecommunications. 

But pen-pushers at the Immigration Department ruled Aaryan, 10, could potentially  pose too great of a cost to the taxpayer-funded healthcare system.

The devastated family said they found the government’s finding ‘sickening and ableist’. 

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Aneesh Kollikkara (left), Krishna Aneesh (right) and their children Aaryan (centre right) and Aaryasree (centre left) are facing deportation next Wednesday

The immigration turned down the Aneesh family’s permanent residency because of Aaryan’s (above) ‘high cost’ disability

However, the family found new hope on Tuesday after hearing their case is being assessed by Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

An online petition for the family to stay in Australia has gained more than 26,000 signatures since it was created last week.

Mrs Aneesh said her family has never accessed any of the taxpayer-funded resources available in Australia to assist Aaryan.

‘We are eligible for NDIS and Medicare but we haven’t accessed anything for Aaryan via NDIS,’ she told ABC.

‘(The government) have clearly stated that it is a financial burden to the community and all the taxpayers here in Australia if we are given a permanent residency.

‘We can say that we are paying more than that in our own tax and we are contributing to society.’

The government estimated Aaryan’s disability could cost $664,000 over a 10-year period.

Mrs Aneesh added it would be very difficult for Aaryan and his eight-year-old sister Aaryasree to adjust to life in India. 

The immigration department turned down the Aneesh family’s (above) application for permanent residency, saying their son Aaryan’s disability would be a ‘burden’ to taxpayers

The family (above) said they have never access taxpayer-funded resources for 10-year-old Aaryan’s down syndrome

‘The culture, society, everything here is very different from India and also it will be very hard for Aaryan to survive there because of (his disability),’ she said.

The family explained their situation further in their online petition.

‘Even though Aaryam currently accesses no services, and is unlikely ever to do so, he’s been assessed as “high cost” which seems unfair,’ they said.

‘By working in critical industries and paying significant amounts of tax, any taxpayer-funded services that Aaryan may require would be well and truly covered by our contributions.

‘We are now facing the prospect of leaving our home country and returning to India, which would have a detrimental effect on our children’s development. 

‘We have no family or support network in India and we fear for Aaryan’s future. The quality of medical care Aaryan will receive, the stigma he will face and the opportunities he will miss out on worry us.’

Federal Immigration Minister Andrew Giles (above) is the Aneesh family’s last hope of staying in Australia

The family concluded the petition with a final call for help: ‘Help us provide Aaryan with the best possible future. It is not fair that our family is being punished simply because of Aaryan’s condition.’

Thousands of Aussie taxpayers in the comments said they had ‘no problem’ with paying for the hardworking family to stay in Australia.

Hundreds more called for the government to act with ‘compassion’ and said its reason for denying the family’s application bordered on ‘discrimination’. 

Minister Andrew Giles is the family’s last hope before they are deported.