Immigrant Family with Down Syndrome Child Allowed to Remain in Australia

I figured this issue would be rectified once elected officials corrected the uncaring bureaucracy:

Australia’s immigration minister has granted permanent residency to a German family whose application was twice denied because their 13-year-old son’s Down syndrome was deemed a drain on the country’s health system.

The case provoked widespread public outrage, putting pressure on Immigration Minister Chris Evans to intervene.

On Wednesday, Evans ruled that the Moeller family was making a “valuable contribution” to their local community and that they would be allowed to stay on in Australia once their temporary visa expires in March 2010.

Bernhard Moeller, a doctor, moved his family to Horsham in western Victoria two years ago to fill a doctor shortage. He is the only internal medicine specialist serving 20,000 people in the area.

“Dr. Moeller is providing a much needed service in the area, the family have integrated very well and they have substantial community support,” Evans told the Senate on Wednesday.

Moeller told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a CNN affiliate, that waiting for the news has been stressful.

“But now I am really happy,” he said. “We’ve been jumping for joy.”  [CNN]