Tiny Queensland town of Biloela goes in to bat for Tamil refugees

A SMALL central Queensland town is fighting for the return of a family of Sri Lankan asylum-seekers after the couple and their locally born children were taken into detention.

A SMALL central Queensland town is fighting for the return of a family of Sri Lankan asylum-seekers after the couple and their locally born children were taken into detention.

More than 12,000 people have signed a change.org petition created by a Biloela resident after border force officials detained the mother, father and their two daughters last week.

It is understood Nadesalingam and Priya, both Tamils, came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 following Sri Lanka’s civil war and settled in Biloela on a bridging visa that expired last Monday.

Nadesalingam and Priya have been placed into detention. Pictures: Change.org

“They have lived here for over three years and are a caring, hardworking family,” petition creator Angela Fredericks wrote.

Nadesalingam was getting ready for work at the local meatworks at 5am when the officials came to the house.

“Their seven-month-old and 2½-year-old daughters were ripped from their beds,” Ms Fredericks said. “(They) were given 10 minutes to pack up their lives.” Nadesalingam, Priya and their young daughters, Dharuniga and Kopiga, were then taken to a detention centre in Melbourne.

Dharuniga and Kopiga have been placed into detention. Pictures: Change.org

The Tamil Refugee Council’s Aran Mylvaganam said the children were separated from their mother during the removal.

“The children cried and cried until they passed out or fell asleep,” Mr Mylvaganam said. “Priya was begging to sit with them.”
He said the incident shocked the Tamil community, and the family was not allowed outside contact until they signed their deportation papers.

“The children are distressed and disoriented. They don’t understand what is happening. My daughter is asking to go to her friend’s house in Biloela,” Priya said.

Queensland Greens senator Andrew Bartlett described the family’s removal as horrific, cruel and pointless. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

Ms Fredericks said the Biloela community is behind the family, with Nadesalingam’s workmates devastated and mothers from the girls’ daycare in disbelief.

“Our community is not ready to let this family go. They love living and contributing to our society,” Ms Fredericks wrote.

A Department of Home Affairs spokesman said the family ’s case had been comprehensively assessed over many years. “They have consistently been found not to meet Australia’s protection obligations,” he said, adding that the removals were carried out safely.

The Greens are also backing the family, calling their detention a “shocking abuse of power”.

“We can not stand by and allow these horrific, cruel and pointless misuses of force for supposed political gain to continue,” Queensland Senator Andrew Bartlett said.

Visit the change.org petition here.