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Australia's opposition has on Wednesday called on the immigration minister to allow family members of a dying Pakistani student to come and visit their terminally ill son.
Hassan Asif came to Australia on a student's visa before he was recently diagnosed with a terminal cancer.
Doctors at his end-of-life care providers have predicted that 25-year-old Asif has just weeks to live, but on Tuesday it was revealed his family had been refused entry to Australia.
On Wednesday, shadow Immigration Minister Richard Marles has said Liberal colleague Peter Dutton must step in to allow the family to visit Asif one last time.
He told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that unless there was a "compelling national security reason," the family should be allowed to enter Australia.
"Short of there being some national security issues, common sense must surely prevail here and this dying man ought to be able to spend his last weeks with his family," Marles said.
"For every compassionate Australian, it beggars belief what is now facing this man.
"Without some form of intervention, he literally faces the last weeks of his life alone and that is an absolute tragedy."
Marles' comments come a day after the Immigration Department released a statement saying the family members were denied entry, but should "re-apply" for visas -- something which would likely result in the family missing out on seeing their dying son and brother.
"When deciding if an applicant intends a genuine temporary stay in Australia, the decision-maker must take into account relevant considerations such as the applicant's personal circumstances, incentive to return home, financial situation and ability to support themselves while in Australia," the statement said on Tuesday.
"The likelihood of an applicant overstaying or seeking to remain permanently in Australia is also a matter that must be assessed."
"Particularly in compassionate circumstances, a decision-maker takes all of the facts of a particular case into consideration."
"In this case, all of the facts have been taken into consideration and the decision-maker has not issued the visa."
Asif is currently under care at the Melbourne City Mission's youth homelessness refuge, and director Sherri Bruinhout said he still holds hope of seeing his family.
"He's still hanging on to trying to be positive about the prospect of seeing his family over the next week or two," Bruinhout told the ABC.
"He's still very hopeful. He's got a great sense of humor."
Asif has no other family ties in Australia.
