LUND, Sweden, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A 3-year-old toddler who was abandoned after birth and faced deportation from Sweden met her birth parents, her foster family said.
Haddile's mother disappeared 20 days after giving birth, and the baby's stepfather then allegedly abused the baby, leading to brain damage, TheLocal.se reported..
Haddile moved in with her foster parents in southern Sweden when she was 4 months old.
In 2012, the Swedish Migration Board attempted to deport her to France to be reunited with her birth parents.
Tens of thousands of people signed a petition condemning the attempt.
In response, he board delayed the deportation and granted her a two-year residency permit, but refused to give her permanent residency.
Malen Liewehr, Haddile's foster mother, said the birth parents visited the girl over the holidays. They were accompanied by a social services worker and an Arabic interpreter, TheLocal.se reported.
The birth parents have expressed their desire to bring Haddile back home with them.
"They were calm and friendly. Haddile was curious but they didn't understand one another," Liewehr said. "The mother was enormously moved by seeing her little girl. She tried to stroke and hug her but Haddile didn't want to."
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