New Zealand deport disabled South African child

A recent high court judgment saw Justice Gerald Nation rule that five-year-old Caitlyn Davies be sent back to South Africa, despite the girl’s family appealing the decision.

Immigration New Zealand had insisted her condition would place a burden on the country’s health services.

Davies’ father, Jonathan, arrived in New Zealand from South Africa in 2015 – and was afforded a one-year work visa.

After accepting a job as farm manager in Geraldine, Canterbury, he welcomed Caitlyn, her two-year-old brother and her mother to the country a couple of months later.

While the rest of the family’s visas were extended in May 2016, Caitlyn’s was denied due to her alleged unacceptable standard of health.

“The mom, Charmaine, is absolutely devastated. She really doesn’t know what the family is going to do from here, all she knows is returning to South Africa is simply not an option because she won’t be safe there,” Stuff quoted the Davies’ lawyer, Andrew Riches, as saying.

“In assessing whether it’s unjust to deport her, the focus needs to be on her personal circumstances – they placed too much weight on the wider public. It’s a fairly technical argument, but in the midst of it you have got this poor young girl and her whole future is hanging in the balance.”