Father-of-six feared deportation after he was caught driving while disqualified

A Queensland father-of-six is lucky to be able to stay in Australia after he faced deportation for driving while disqualified for the third time.

Michael Swan, who was born in New Zealand, was two months into his jail sentence when authorities told him he would be kicked out of the country.

“I class myself as Australian because this is all I know, I've been here since I was 13,” Mr Swan told 9NEWS.

“My visa was actually cancelled.”

Last year, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton pledged to deport criminals who were in the country on a visa.

“The children and I didn't know what to do,” Kelly Swan, Mr Swan’s wife said.

Changes made in 2014 to section 501 of the Migration Act meant foreigners who were sentenced to 12 months or more would be deported.

“If they break the law they will be deported from this country,” Mr Dutton said.

Last year, 1043 foreign nationals were deported, including 301 visa holding criminals from Queensland.

Among those sent packing were Francis James Carter, a British man who nearly decapitated a man for talking to his girlfriend and then murdered a fellow inmate, and Richard Peter Coburn, who was sent to New Zealand after dumping his girlfriend’s body in a wheelie bin.

Thirty-seven of those who had been deported had committed sexual crimes against children.

Mr Swan’s deportation was overturned in court.