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Mum begs Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton not to deport her, saying she will be separated from her eight-year-old Australian-born son.

Brisbane-based Filipino mum of three, Bernadette Romulo, will find out this week if she will be deported with her two overseas-born daughters after 11 years living in Australia.

Her eight year old son Giro cannot leave Australia due to partial custody arrangements with his Filipino-Australian father, reports 9 news.

“Please I’m begging you, please don’t take my son away from me,” Ms Romulo says in a tearful video plea to Mr Dutton.

“I have raised him for eight years.”

The single mother says Giro cries himself to sleep at night, and suffers nightmares about the prospect of being separated from her.

She says three years spent fighting for permanent residency have amounted to nothing.

More than 22,000 people have signed a change.org petition, calling on Mr Dutton to intervene.

“I have lived in Australia for 11 years, work as an assistant nurse in an aged-care facility, pay my taxes …” she writes in the petition.

“I cannot imagine having to say goodbye to him. He’s only eight.”

Greens Senator Andrew Bartlett lent his support for Ms Romulo and her children, urging the Immigration Minister to step in to stop their removal from Australia, reports SBS.

Mr Bartlett further added that the stress involved on the boy and the mother is enormous and has been going on for years.

“Her son is an Australian citizen and if she is deported, [it] would separate him from that family for life,” he told SBS Filipino.

“It’s a clear case when the Minister should act.”

We hope Mr Dutton can reconsider and spare this little boy lots of heartache.

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  • Googled but cant find an update to this story. Wonder what happened

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  • Has anyone here heard the outcome of this case? Do hope common sense did prevail.

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  • I hope she was able to stay. She’s been here so long already, is a contributing member of our society and hasn’t broken the law. Why can’t she stay

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  • This is one case where she should be given permanent residency. She has done the right thing by working and paying her taxes, has applied for permanent residency and she has a child who was born here. If there’s a problem, send back the illegal immigrants or the one’s who don’t work but expect to get a house and money without earning it.

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  • But in the petition they talk about domestic violence issues. I can’t believe they would leave child back in Australia with the father, when the mother is the primary carer. I signed the petition. I hope it helps!

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  • How horrible! I hope they can do something for them, clearly they are not an immigration threat.

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  • Surely this is a case where common sense must prevail. You cannot split families up. This is not criminal behaviour. She has done nothing wrong. She is a good citizen paying her own way. Please look at this case on its own merits and do the right thing.

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  • I really hope there’s a happy outcome for this family. A little compassion please.

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  • Hope & pray Mr Dutton has compassion and won’t deport her !

    Reply

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