Further representations have been made by Member for New England Barnaby Joyce, on behalf of a Bingara family on the cusp of facing deportation back to Papua New Guinea.
The urgent representations also follow calls from Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan for the Federal Government to overturn the decision to deport the family.
Petrus Atep and his family of 10 fled Papua New Guinea after receiving deaths threats from a rival tribe following an incident where a hire car belonging to Mr Atep’s hire car company was involved in an accident where a tribesman from the rival tribe was killed.
Mr Atep says the family’s home is now in Bingara as there is nothing to go back to Papua New Guinea for
Mr Joyce says he sincerely hopes the many calls being made by residents in the Bingara community and the more than two thousand people who have signed a petition in support of the family remaining in Australia will be taken into consideration, adding the Atep family are being good citizens, paying their taxes and contributing to our nation and of course are accepted by the community.
Mr Joyce hopes to receive advice from Federal Immigration Minister Tony Burke in the coming days saying he will continue to do what he can to help the Atep family remain in Bingara.
