Biloela asylum seeker family meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a surprise visit

The Biloela asylum seeker family made a surprise visit to Gladstone in a successful attempt to meet with and thank Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He later released photos of their meeting.

The Biloela asylum seeker family have been assured by the Prime Minister “a solution is on the way” for them to permanently stay in Australia and in their beloved Central Queensland community.

In a surprise visit to Gladstone Wednesday, Sri Lankans Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their Australian-born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa Nadesalingam had an impromptu meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese where the family thanked him for the government’s intervention in their case.

The Biloela asylum seeker family have made a surprise visit to Gladstone for a personal meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Pictured left to right is: Family friend and advocate, Bronwyn Dendle, Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan, their Australian-born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa Nadesalingam, and family friend and advocate Angela Fredericks. Picture: Madura McCormack

The Tamil family were living in Biloela when Australian Border Force officers took them from their home in 2018 and placed them into immigration detention after their bridging visas expired.

They were found not to meet Australia’s refugee requirements and were kept in detention in Melbourne, Christmas Island and then in community detention in Perth over four years.

The asylum seekers returned to Biloela on Friday thanks to a years-long advocacy campaign spearheaded by fellow Biloela resident Angela Fredericks, and after the newly-minted Labor government intervened in May and used its powers to let them return to the town.

In a surprise visit to Gladstone Wednesday, Sri Lankans Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa Nadesalingam had an impromptu meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Mr Albanese later shared photos of their unexpected visit via his Twitter account. Picture: Twitter

Ms Fredericks said Mr Albanese had assured them the wheels were in motion for a solution to let the Nadesalingam family remain in Australia permanently.

She said she picked up the family in Biloela to find a big bouquet of flowers they had prepared in the hopes of giving it to Mr Albanese, but had no expectation of being able to meet him in person.

Earlier Wednesday, the Nadesalingams were spotted walking through the crowd at the Gladstone Convention Centre on Goondoon Street before being escorted into a private section.

Mr Albanese, in a press conference just minutes prior, had been asked when the family could expect a decision on permanent residency.

He said the decision on a permanent visa for the Nadesalingams was up to the new Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, but Ms Fredericks said they felt reassured after the meeting.

“However, today we walk away feeling really reassured and I guess knowing that we’ve got some more happy days that will be coming,” she said.

Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their Australian-born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa Nadesalingam had an impromptu meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese where the family thanked him for the government’s intervention in their case. Mr Albanese later shared photos of their meeting on Twitter. Picture: Twitter

The children, aged 7 and 5, will head back to school on Monday for the first time since being removed from the community.

Tharnicaa celebrated her fifth birthday – her first birthday outside of detention – in Biloela on Sunday.

Mrs Nadesalingam, asked how the last few days have been since their return to Biloela, said “my mind is relaxed, I am safe now”.