United Kingdom - Ireland
Dec. 12, 1958 - Finnish Family Can Stay Here Over Christmas: 25-year old Pentti Peltonen from Finland, and his family, are to be allowed to stay here over Christmas. The Peltonen family, father, mother and five children, sold up their home in Finland and sailed for London aboard the Russian liner Baltika, on their way to start a new life in Australia. At sea, the two oldest children, Kari, six, and Maaret, five, developed chicken pox, and when the ship docked at Tilbury they were taken to an isolation hospital. The Strathmore liner sailed for Australia, and Mr. Peltonen and his family were taken back aboard the Baltika. On Thursday, he was told that because he had little or no money, they would have to return to Finland aboard the Baltika, and the two sick children flown home when well. But when the Baltika sailed yesterday, the Peltonen family, was not aboard, for Home Office and Immigration officials at Australia House agreed that they could stay. When the children are recovered, the whole family will sail together to Australia. The Australian Government will pay for their upkeep whilst they are in Britain. They will repay the cost when they have settled down in Australia. Photo shows Mrs. Maire Peltonen, 23, seen yesterday with her three younger children
