50-year-old Edward McHugh faces deportation due to a criminal conviction despite holding an Australian passport. McHugh has been in Australia for more than 40 years after his adoption at age six by a Queensland family and never imagined that he was anything but an Australian. He has begotten seven children in the country. The Islands-born man said he grew up in Toowoomba with Aussie parents that never saw any reason to do anything for him to become a citizen, as per reports. McHugh’s identity as an Australian hit a snag when he got information of his deportation before a year. His deportation is on character grounds as stated in section 501 of the Criminal Act. He was condemned to a 9-month jail term for illegal assault and threatened to take a life in February. McHugh described the situation as a mistake and does not agree with deportation on the ground on one blip. He will be deported to New Zealand as all Cook Island nationals have New Zealand Citizenship. He is presently living in Brisbane Immigration Transit Center. This is strange because he was granted a passport that clearly declared him an Australian last year, unlike about 1000 New Zealand people who have been deported in the past 2 years after serving a jail term.
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