The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has agreed to issue a new passport to 11-year-old Maidstone girl Kate Vo, who was left stranded in Vietnam.
Kate’s mother, Duong Nguyen, had issued a heartfelt plea to the department be reunited with Kate, who is stranded in Vietnam after her estranged husband allegedly returned to Australia with the family’s passports.
Ms Nguyen visited Australia’s embassy in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) seeking replacement passports. She was able to obtain a new passport for herself, however consular officials insisted the father’s signature must be provided in order to issue a passport to Kate, leaving her stranded in Saigon with family as her mother returned home to seek help.
It s understood Foreign Minister Julie Bishop intervened in the case after hearing about the situation, with the passport fast tracked to allow the girl to be reunited with her mother.
Youth worker and social justice advocate Les Twentyman, who was asked by the girl’s mother to help resolve the issue, was delighted by the outcome welcomed the Ministers intervention.
“There was real concern to the impact this separation was having on both the mother and child’s mental health and I am pleased that the Minister has been able to step in and help reach an outcome to ensure mother and child will be reunited,” says Twentyman.
Ms Nguyen will collect the passport at 10am tomorrow morning and will return to Vietnam as soon as possible to bring her daughter home.
