Two Armenian children who were given a last-minute reprieve from deportation by junior justice minister Mark Harbers at the weekend say they hope their mother will be allowed to rejoin them in the Netherlands, Dutch News reported.

The disappearance of Howick, 13, and his 12-year-old sister Lily sparked a public outcry and a frantic round of behind-the-scenes lobbying in The Hague. The pair fled their grandparents’ home on Friday night, hours before they were due to be put on a plane to Yerevan, after lawyers failed to persuade a court to halt their departure.

The children told AD.nl they were grateful to Harbers for his change of heart and were looking forward to going back to school. ‘I know now that I can go there with no stress and I can stay there,’ said Howick. Lili added: ‘Every time I went I felt like we’re learning now, but it might all soon be for nothing. Now at least we have a future.’