British great-grandmother, 93, is given 28 days to leave Australia or risk ARREST despite her family warning she'll die on the plane if she's deported
- A devastated family are trying to prevent their matriarch from being deported
- Mollie Manley, 93, moved to Australia 11 years ago to be closer to her family
- She now faces deportation after not meeting the health criteria for a visa
- The 93-year-old has 28 days to leave the country or risks being arrested
- Family are pleading with the government to show compassion for Ms Manley
A British great-grandmother has been given 28 days to leave Australia or risk arrest despite her family warning she could die on the journey back.
Mollie Manley, 93, moved to Australia 11 years ago from Somerset, England to be closer to her family.
She failed to obtain a permanent residency visa and is now being deported back to Britain, leaving behind three grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She has no living relatives outside of Australia, and her family are concerned for her health should she be left on her own.
Mollie's son-in-law Robert Rowe has written to the Home Affairs Office pleading for them to reconsider their decision and reiterated that the flight alone posed a severe risk to Ms Manley's health and wellbeing
Mrs Oliver said it was heartbreaking to think of Ms Manley being isolated from her family on the other side of the world in the last years of her life
Her son-in-law Robert Rowe told SBS the government's actions were similar to a 'right-wing dictatorship'.
'She's been here 11 years, but she failed the medical on health grounds, she's gone blind in that time and old… yesterday, I received a letter by email stating that they cancelled her visa application and she has 28 days to leave the country,' he said.
'We have 21 days to appeal the decision, but she may not last that long. She is very frail; we may suspect she may die. But if she survives then we will appeal the decision.'
He said should she be forced back onto the flight, she wouldn't survive the plane trip.
Frail great-grandmother Mollie Manley (pictured with her great-grandchildren) is being deported back to Britain where she has no family after it was decided she was too much of a burden on the health system
Ms Manley recently suffered a minor stroke and her family feared the worst and gathered at her bedside to say their last goodbyes.
Her granddaughter Lauren Oliver brings Ms Manley's three great-grandchildren, Logan, 9, Evan, 7, and Jasmine, 3, to visit her every week from their home in Perth, and told Daily Mail Australia the family were shattered by the news.
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'We are so devastated. We love her so much and the thought that she could be sent back after 11 years is so heartbreaking,' she previously said.
'She would have no one and would die alone, here she has her only child, my mother, her son-in-law, my dad, three grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.'
Ms Manley was informed on May 12 that her application for an aged parent visa was rejected because she does not fit the criteria due to her poor health.
The health criteria state that an applicant must be free from disease and must be free of any condition which would cost the health sector more than $40,000 (£22,000) in total.
Ms Manley's full-time care would cost about $145,000 (£80,000) for the next three years.
'We are desperately hoping that they can show our family and Mollie just a little bit of compassion and allow her to stay with us,' Mrs Oliver said.
Mrs Oliver said she still hasn't been able to tell Ms Manley she is set for deportation, but said she thinks she is aware.
'We haven't told our children or Mollie at this stage. I don't think Mollie would be able to hear this news, it would upset her too much.
'We don't believe that she would survive the flight home even she is that frail,' she said.
'We just want people to know that to us she means the world. We love her so much and just want to make her final days full of joy and happiness, which she gets from her family.'
Her granddaughter, Lauren Oliver (pictured), brings Ms Manley's three great-grandchildren to visit her every week and told Daily Mail Australia the family were devastated
'She would have no one and would die alone, here she has her only child, my mother, her son-in-Law, my dad, three grandchildren and nine great grandchildren,' Mrs Oliver said (pictured - Mollie with her extended family in Australia including Robert Rowe - centre back)
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