Memphis Facer, 3, banned from returning home to Queensland

The Queensland Premier has been called on to apologise to the family of an immune compromised three-year-old boy who has been trapped in NSW for eight weeks.

Federal Cabinet Minister Peter Dutton has slammed the Queensland Premier for barring a three year-old boy from returning home to his parents, calling for the problem to be fixed right now and demanding an apology.

Memphis Facer, 3, has been stuck on his grandparents’ cattle station south of Griffith after travelling there for a visit in early July.

Despite repeated appeals to Queensland health officials from his parents on the Sunshine State’s Fraser Coast to let the three year-old through the hard border, Memphis is still in Griffith and has no way home.

Memphis, Mick, Paisley and Dominique just after the birth of Paisley.

Appearing on 2GB radio, Mr Dutton called it a “terrible story” and lashed Ms Palaszczuk and Queensland officials for not letting Memphis come home.

He ridiculed Queensland officials’ recommendation that Memphis fly home via Covid-riddled Sydney and do 14 days in hotel quarantine, and said the immunocompromised three year-old posed “no threat” to Queensland’s biosecurity.

“This little three-year-old boy separated from his mum and dad, I cannot believe common sense doesn’t prevail in a case like this,” Mr Dutton said.

Memphis Francis. Picture: Ginette Guidolin

“Griffith is an area where Covid isn’t present … (Memphis and his family) could have Covid tests at the border … to be separated for eight weeks, that is traumatic for him.”

Mr Dutton added: “His parents would be going to sleep each night worrying about their child … I think the premier should step in this morning and say ‘Look this has gone too far here, I’m going to resolve this issue’.”

”It’s a show of common sense and decency, and it should happen this morning.”

The defence minister also took aim at comments from Ms Palaszczuk in Queensland parliament yesterday where she claimed “every child” would be at risk if the state opened up.

“The Premier’s use of children as cover for extending the lockdown I just think is unforgivable,” Mr Dutton said.

“I think she’s made a very, very, significant misstep there and needs to apologise for that.”

On Thursday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called the situation heartbreaking and urged every state premier to make exemptions for families in dire situations.

“We know that living during a pandemic is difficult enough, but when families are torn apart and children are separated from parents, it is especially difficult,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Regrettably, while that case has been highlighted, there are hundreds of other cases like it. No matter which state we live in, no matter what our circumstances are, all of us have to display a degree of compassion and understanding because perfection in a pandemic can never be achieved.”

Memphis’ mother, Dominique Facer said: “It’s pretty tough when you’ve got your son on the phone crying, just wanting to come home.”

“People are saying it could be Christmas. It is devastating. Everyday there is just no hope. We are in a situation now where I literally just don’t know when I am going to see my son again.”

On July 22, the Queensland government announced it would shut the border to the whole of NSW at 1am the next day.

This gave Ms Facer and her parents just 12 hours notice to try to reunite the family or face two weeks hotel quarantine – a feat rendered impossible given the distance between them of more than 1500km and the Covid risk in Greater Sydney.

Since then the family have applied but been knocked back for several exemptions as they have been told they do not qualify for a reunion under Queensland’s compassionate grounds.

Meanwhile, NRL players and WAGS have been able to enter the state despite its decision to suspend all hotel quarantine.

Memphis Facetime's with his family multiple times a day.

“I will go to any lengths to ensure that I will do the right thing just to have my little boy home,” Ms Facer said.

“He is immune compromised and we literally are the most isolated people.

“It is so tough and my mother is falling apart because she doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him while he is in their care.”

Ms Facer had offered to meet Memphis at the Queensland border and drive him straight to their property in Howard, about 40km west of Hervey Bay.

She said she had a long haul vehicle which meant she would not have to stop on the way back to their isolated 40 acre property.

But she was told the only option was for Memphis and his grandparents to travel to Covid-ravaged Sydney to board a flight to Queensland where they would be put into hotel quarantine when they landed.

Memphis is safe with his grandparents and is being well looked after but both he and his mum, dad and little sister hope to be reunited.

“It’s more dangerous for him there than it is letting him come home,” she said.

“It’s not about keeping people safe because they wanted me to put my son and parents in a Covid hotspot just to come home.

“I wasn’t going to compromise their health and safety just to come home. The whole thing with the NRL was just a massive, massive kick in the guts. I have been told that I won’t get approved about four times because it’s not compassionate grounds, how is that not compassionate grounds.”

Murrumbidgee, the area where Memphis has been staying with his grandparents, has had no cases of Covid-19 during the current outbreak.

The closest town to the property where Memphis is staying is Griffith, which also has no recorded cases.

“It has an effect on not only him but on me. Does he think that I don’t want him, does he think he has done something wrong?,” Ms Facer said.

Queensland Health would not comment on the family’s case due to “privacy’’, but acknowledged border restrictions were “inconvenient’’.

Originally published as Memphis Facer, 3, banned from returning home to Queensland