Please don't deport my 9-year-old son to a land he doesn't know because of his autism

Tyrone, a 9-year-old boy, has lived in Australia with his mother for eight years. He is autistic. Now the family faces deportation to the Philippines — a land he barely knows — because of his condition.

Maria Sevilla, a registered nurse who came to Australia as a skilled worker, had her visa renewal refused. The reason: the projected healthcare costs of Tyrone's autism. She was forced to take leave without pay when the refusal came through.

Sevilla started a Change.org petition addressed to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, urging the government to let them stay. It quickly gathered over 123,000 signatures.

"I've applied for a visa to keep working here; now, they've told me it's been refused because of Tyrone," she wrote. "Tyrone is not a burden, he is a joy. He's non-verbal, but he still hears and still experiences the world. He is a happy child with a full-of-life attitude and can lighten the mood of a room with his presence. He doesn't take any medication, and he attends a special school. The idea that he can't contribute because of his condition is just wrong. People with autism can be excellent at a whole range of things — he just needs to be given a chance!"

Dutton indicated the family might be allowed to stay: "In many of these cases we want to try and provide support to families that are in a very difficult situation. We have to weigh up all of the circumstances and particulars of the relevant case," he said.