Baby Gammy may get Australian citizenship

The Australian government has suggested that a child apparently abandoned to its surrogate mother in Thailand after being born with Down syndrome may be given Australian citizenship.

The seven-month-old child, who is currently in hospital in Thailand for treatment of a life-threatening lung infection and will need further operations for a heart condition, has sparked a worldwide debate on the rules surrounding international surrogacy.

Pattaramon Chanbua (21), a foodseller in the town of Sri Racha, is taking care of the boy, Gammy, after an Australian couple took his healthy twin sister back to their home in western Australia.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised for the child via a viral online campaign since the story emerged.

Australia’s immigration minister, Scott Morrison, said yesterday that Pattaramon was “an absolute hero” and “a saint”, and that the law surrounding the case was “very, very murky”.

False hopes

“We are taking a close look at what can be done here, but I wouldn’t want to raise any false hopes or expectations,” he said. “We are dealing with something that has happened in another country’s jurisdiction.” Morrison’s office later said in a statement that “the child may be eligible for Australian citizenship”.

It is unclear if the Australian couple abandoned the child, as previous reports have suggested. Ms Pattaramon has she was asked to abort her son after it was discovered he had Down syndrome, and that the parents would only take his healthy twin sister.

– (Guardian service)