Extract from ABC News
After 15 months apart, the Murugappan family has been reunited with long-time friends from Biloela, in regional Queensland.
Key points:
- The Tamil asylum seeker family was reunited in Perth on Tuesday
- Family friend Angela Fredericks said it was an "overwhelming" time
- She said Biloela residents continued to advocate for the family's return
Arriving in Perth on Thursday, Angela Fredericks and Vashini Jayakumar drove straight to Perth Children's Hospital where four-year-old Tharnicaa has received treatment since being evacuated from Christmas Island — where the family has been in immigration detention — due to a blood infection earlier last week.
Ms Fredericks said it had been an emotional and overwhelming reunion.
"Once we were in some privacy, that's when the tears started flowing, particularly [Tharnicaa's mother] Priya.
Ms Fredericks said she would not stop advocating for the Murugappan family to return to Biloela.
"This family has been through more than anyone can imagine and [it was good] to just hold Priya and to let her know that while it's not over yet and we don't have a set outcome yet, we're still going, we're still determined to protect this family, to get them back home to Biloela where they belong," she said.
'The family are quite nervous'
The Tamil asylum seeker family has spent the past three years fighting deportation to Sri Lanka.
They have predominantly been held in detention on Christmas Island — an operation which has cost the federal government $6.7 million to date.
Earlier
this week, the government granted the family a community detention
order, allowing them to remain in Perth while Tharnicaa receives ongoing
medical care.
On Tuesday, father Nades and older daughter Kopika were flown to Perth from Christmas Island, joining Tharnicaa and her mother.
Ms Fredericks said the family was still coming to terms with recent events.
"[Priya's] very nervous. She doesn't know Perth at all … so the family are quite nervous," she said.
Friend pledges ongoing advocacy
Advocates and supporters have long called on the government to return the family to Biloela where they lived before being taken into detention in 2018.
"I have been just overwhelmed by the support and the love that we have gotten from people in Perth and I know that Perth is one lucky city because they have got four beautiful people joining their ranks very soon," Ms Fredericks said.
Ms Fredericks said the most challenging part for the family would be the strict rules preventing the parents from working.
"[Nades] can't work under the current arrangement. However, I know both of them are going to throw themselves into the community. They've spent three years not being able to do anything and they're both givers."
Ms Fredericks said she believed allowing the family to remain in Australia would not pose a threat to the government's border policy.
"I take my words from their own Coalition, who have been confirming for us in recent days that the boat turn-back policy is working extremely effectively," she said.
"Whatever happens with this family, it's not going to have any impact on the strong border protection policies that are in place."
Earlier this week, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used powers granted under the Migration Act to allow the Murugappan family to live in Perth while Tharnicaa received treatment.
At the time, Mr Hawke said in a statement the decision demonstrated "appropriate compassion".
"[The] decision releases the family from held detention and facilitates ongoing treatment, while they pursue ongoing litigation before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Federal Court and High Court," the statement said.
However, WA Premier Mark McGowan said the "best solution" would be for the family to return to Biloela.
"If this is a transition to that outcome, well then that's good," Mr McGowan said on Tuesday.
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