A media outcry may have helped a Danish man keep his Vietnamese wife in the country while their seven-week-old girl, Sofia, receives vital medical treatment, tells the online media, the Copenhagen Post.
The initial decision to deport 27-year-old Kim Loan Dinh – and either separate Dinh from Sofia while she continued treatment, or send Sofia back to Vietnam with Dinh where the family fears she will receive inadequate medical treatment – was criticised by one of Sofia’s nurses.
Kim Loan Dinh married her Danish husband, 21-year-old Casper Præst, in Vietnam last year after they met while he was a student in the country. But because of the ‘24-year-rule’, Dinh was unable to move to Denmark and Præst returned home without her.
Dinh became pregnant during their time together in Vietnam and this spring came to visit Præst and his family for three months before she was due to give birth. But during a check-up, she was told she was further into her pregnancy than previously thought, meaning she would have to fly home while heavily pregnant. She then applied for, and was granted, an extension to her tourist visa.
On August 19, Dinh gave birth to Sofia, who was born with hip dysplasia. She was placed in a hip brace and had check-up scans planned for late September and December to monitor her progress.
Dinh – wanting to stay with Sofia while she completed her treatment – applied for another extension to her visa. It was denied on the grounds that visas can only be extended once.
The denial meant Dinh was told to leave the country on Sunday, with or without Sofia. But Tuesday, after appealing to the Justice Ministry, she was granted a temporary extension until November 1 so her case could be examined.
Speaking to The Copenhagen Post, Præst said he was “absolutely happy” about being granted the extension, but added they had a long way to go.
But even if Dinh is allowed to stay while Sofia is treated, the current immigration rules mean it is unlikely she can live in the country permanently until Præst turns 24, tells the Copenhagen Post.
