Biloela Tamil family welcomed home at Flourish Multicultural Festival

In their first full day back in Central Queensland, the Nadesalingam Family were the guests of honour at a multicultural festival receiving a very warm welcome on a cold day. See the details here.

BILOELA, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 11: Priya and Nades Nadesalingam, also known as Murugappan, and their daughters Kopika (C) and Tharnicaa are welcomed back by supporters and members of the community on June 11, 2022 in Biloela, Australia. (Photo by Dan Peled/Getty Images)

It may have been cold but the Nadesalingam received a very warm welcome home when they took to the stage as the guests of honour at this year’s Flourish Festival in Biloela.

It was a welcome home that has been four years in the making, with the family stepping off the plane at the Thangool Aerodrome on Friday afternoon, signalling the start of a “new life”.

The emotions and celebrations to welcome home Biloela’s Nadesalingam family continued on Saturday as they attended the Flourish Festival as guests of honour.

The festival, which is in its second year, celebrates the multicultural community within the small country town.

There were cheers and smiles throughout the festival with Priya taking the stage to personally thank the community for their efforts which helped bring them home.

She described being ‘Home in Bilo’ as a “sweet dream”.

“I’m so grateful to the Biloela community, you guys fought so hard to bring us home and I’m so grateful,” she said.

When the family entered the room and walked onto the stage they received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“I was so surprised when I saw this much love from our community,” she said.

“When I first came here I didn’t expect to receive this love and support from my community, I had no idea…when I saw that today I was so grateful and thankful.

“Me and Nades wish to dedicate ourselves to the community we are very grateful to.”

Priya said she slept “very well” for the first time in four and a half years on what was their first night home.

Close family friend Angela Fredericks said when the family arrived in their new home, their daughters ran straight for the backyard.

“The girls have not had grass for four years, even in their little community detention house in Perth,”

“To watch them run and play, they were playing tag and picking flowers, that’s what life in Australia should be like.”

On the same day as the Flourish Festival Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there should be “no impediment” to a permanent residency for the family.

Priya said learning of his comment was “very happy news”.

“I welcome the news, I’m so grateful and pleased I have received that news today,” she said.

The family’s lawyer Carina Ford said she couldn’t believe they were “nearly at the end”.

She said a decision on what kind of visa the family would receive “shouldn’t be far”.

The family were removed from their Biloela Home in 2018 after an expired visa sparked an early morning raid from Border Force.

The Nadesalingam’s were then forced into detention and had been at Christmas Island since 2019.

They began their journey home to their adopted hometown of Biloela, from Perth on Wednesday after Treasurer Jim Chalmers last month used his ministerial powers, as interim Home Affairs Minister, to intervene in the family’s case, granting them bridging visas.

The visas will allow the family to remain in Biloela while they work towards resolving their immigration status.

On Sunday their youngest daughter Tharnicaa will celebrate her fifth birthday, and first out of detention, with a ‘Pink Party’.