[Australia] 'Wrongful deportee living in poverty'

from The Australian

By Kylie Williams

A MAN with kidney problems was wrongfully deported to Turkey, where he lived in poverty and survived on money sent from his parents in Australia, his lawyer said today.

Immigration lawyer Michaela Byers said Gulteckin Sayin, 43, was wrongfully deported to Turkey in 1997 after serving a nine-year prison sentence for drug and robbery offences.

Mr Sayin arrived in Australia from Turkey in 1971 as a nine-year-old with his parents who live in Sydney and are now Australian citizens, Ms Byers said.

Ms Byers said although Mr Sayin was receiving medical treatment for his kidney problem in Turkey his parents were worried it was not adequate.

"They're concerned about his kidney problem," she said.

"He is receiving medical treatment in Turkey, he's entitled to it because he did national service, but they're not sure how good it is."

His parents also send him about $500 a month to help with living expenses and had paid for his unsuccessful legal fight to stay in Australia, she said.

Ms Byers said Mr Sayin now worked as a trolley boy in Turkey.

"He's living in poverty in Turkey," she said.

"They've spent $200,000 on trying to stop the deportation and sending him money in Turkey."

Although Mr Sayin was a heroin addict, he did a drug course in prison and had been clean since 1992, Ms Byers said.

She said there was no suggestion Mr Sayin was suffering from a mental illness.

The Department of Immigration would not comment until they finished investigating his file.