A DEPORTATION order -imposed on a disabled Vietnam War veteran has been overturned by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton after a public outcry. 
Michael McFadden, 69, will be released from Villawood Detention Centre and transferred to the St John of God Hospital at Richmond for treatment.
Advocates for the veteran, whose permanent visa was cancelled despite him living in Australia for 60 years, received a call from Mr Dutton's office about 1.30pm yesterday notifying them the deportation had been stopped.
The father-of-three and grandfather of six was to be -deported to the UK, a country he has no memory of, after serving time in jail for offences which his supporters claim were directly linked to his post-traumatic stress disorder.
McFadden served in the Australian Army in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 and developed post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol dependence and, later, brain damage as a long-term consequence of his war service injuries.
Lawyers are now fighting to have his conviction set aside and for McFadden to be granted Australian citizenship.
RSL Veterans' Centre director Norbert Keough said: "This is a proud day for Australia - we are glad that reasonable minds have prevailed." Advocate Nick Wiesener said he expected, after treatment in hospital, McFadden would be moved to accommodation at the RSL LifeCare Homes for Heroes village at Narrabeen.New laws allow the government to automatically cancel the visa of any non-citizen who serves a sentence of 12 months or more, immediately after they are released from prison.