An Indian family with three New Zealand-born children is fighting deportation claiming it will mean life in a Punjabi slum.

Sixty eight-year-old Mohammed Al-Isawi is one of an estimated 16,000 overstayers currently living in New Zealand.

He's been in the country illegally for three years helping care for his four grandkids after their mother struggled with serious vision problems.

His son, who's a New Zealand citizen, believes his father's presence has been a benefit to the country.

“Maybe I would stop working to look after my kids and get benefit all the time for that three years because my wife cannot control the house,” says Mr Al-Isawi.

The treatment of illegal migrants is in the spotlight tonight with an Indian family fighting deportation. Their three kids were born here and have citizenship but their father, an overstayer for seven years, is now in prison waiting for the Minister’s decision.

“I want the Prime Minister to come to my school in Hastings and tell me in front of my teachers why he wants to deport me and send me to poverty,” says eight-year-old Hemani Mall.

Advocates for the family fear they will have to swap Hastings for a slum with no running water or toilets and because they're not Indian citizens the children won't qualify for healthcare until they're 18.

“This is the only life they know,” says Mr Al-Isawi.

“It'll be shock horror for the children to go there. We try and save all the children but we can't but we are trying to save these three.”

A spokesman for associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said she hadn't made her mind up on the matter. Mr Al-Isawi believes in some cases New Zealand is too strict on overstayers.

“If they are staying here for a long time without any bad record why do you have to kick them out.”

However, while keeping a low profile in his three years living here illegally his father even had a gall bladder operation in North Shore Hospital which his son is in the process of paying off.

Mr Al-Isawi will bid a fond farewell to the country and his grandkids on Wednesday when he returns home to Jordan.

(Source 3 News)