Biloela asylum seeker family spared imminent deportation

A BILOELA asylum seeker family has been spared imminent deportation after fears they would be forced back to Sri Lanka tomorrow.

BRING THEM HOME: A girl holds a family portrait during a rally to stop the deportation of a Biloela Sri Lankan family at the State Library of Victoria on Sunday. Picture: ELLEN SMITH

A BILOELA asylum seeker family has been spared imminent deportation after fears they would be forced back to Sri Lanka tomorrow.

Priya, Nades and their two daughters Kopika, 3 and Tharunicaa, 1, will remain at Broadmeadows Detention Centre in Melbourne after the Federal Circuit Court ruled they could stay in Australia for the time being.

The family has 17 days to appeal the court's decision to reject their bid to stay in the country and allow them back to Biloela where they have lived for about five years.

Today's last minute court hearing came after the family was issued deportation papers on Friday, warning they could be sent out of Australia at any time.

The family's lawyer Kajaliny Ranjith presented their case and secured enough time for the family to have their appeal heard, which could take two to four months.

Nadesalingam and Priya have lives in Australia since 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Friend Angela Fredericks said while they had a good result yesterday she still worried there would be months before the family was released.

Ms Fredericks has campaigned for their release since they were seized from their Biloela home by Border Force officials on March 5.

Biloela woman Angela Fredericks. Picture: Matt Taylor GLA230618BILO

She said there was still a risk the father, Nades and youngest daughter Tharunicaa, could be deported, because their names were not on yesterday's court documents.

"While Priya and Kopika have received an injunction to allow them enough time to put in their appeal, that could be another two to four months in detention," Ms Fredericks said.

Ms Fredericks started another petition yesterday calling on Qantas and other airlines to refuse to fly the Tamil family back to Sri Lanka.

The family has been detained for more than 100 days, with their Australian-born daughters, accused of not meeting Australia's immigration obligations.

A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said years of comprehensive assessment by the Department, tribunals and courts found that the family consistently did not meet Australia's protection obligations.

The Tamil couple came to Australia by boat separately in 2012 and 2013 and settled in Biloela.