Khash Batdavaa talking to media after completing his engineering thesis defence. Photo: PAP

A Mongolian family, which has recently faced deportation, has been granted tolerated stay status by the Office for Foreigners.

Four out of five members of the Batdavaa family, who had been staying at a refugee centre in Przemysl, south-eastern Poland since mid-January, will be able to return to their home in Krakow on Wednesday when the ruling comes into effect.

Oyun, aged 20 and the only family member who was not taken into custody by the Border Guard, can’t wait for his parents’ and his two brothers’ return, telling Polish Radio that “I would just like to see my family, so that they can return home and we can resume our normal lives.”

“I am optimistic and I think that since so many friends helped us, everything will be alright.”
Earlier, a petition had been written in defence of the family, with thousands of supporters showing their support.

The Batdavaas, living in Poland since 2000, ran into problems with the Border Guards as they had not filed for the legalisation of their stay, approaching provincial authorities six years after their arrival in Poland. (aba/jb)

Related stories:

Mongolian family faces deportation, thenews.pl 31.01.2011
Mongolian family kept in detention, thenews.pl 31.01.2011
'In Mongolia they have nothing', thenews.pl/Polish Radio 01.02.2011