Australia calls China to allow them to travel
The Australian government has called on China to allow an ethnic Uighur mother and son to leave the country, following a public plea from the child’s father.
Canberra had initially denied citizenship to baby Lutifeier, who was born in Xinjiang in August 2017 to an Australian father and a Uighur mother, but backtracked last year following a legal battle.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said “the embassy in Beijing have formally requested that the Chinese authorities allow Ms Wumaier and her son (who is an Australian citizen) to travel to Australia”.
The 29-year-old man has spent months campaigning to be reunited with his family, but did not reveal his identity until this week – when he gave an interview on public broadcaster ABC.
On Wednesday, Australian embassy officials in Beijing formally requested that Ms Wumaier and Lutfy be permitted to come to Australia.
Mr Abudusalamu told the BBC he felt positive about Australia’s diplomatic efforts, but “as a father and husband I still need more”.
He said that included his hopes for Australian and Chinese ministers to talk directly, and for Australian officials to be given access to his son in the city of Urumqi.
Before he made his identity public, Mr Abudusalamu said he feared that his son could be placed in state care and adopted by another family if he remained in China.