Tharnicaa Nadesalingam celebrates birthday in Biloela after family released from detention
The Nadesalingam family have celebrated their first milestone after living in immigration detention for four years.
The Nadesalingam family have enjoyed their first celebration outside of Australia’s immigration detention system, with the youngest daughter beaming as she wore a tiara for her fifth birthday.
Tharnicaa Nadesalingam and her family returned to the central Queensland town of Biloela over the weekend, just in-time for the five-year-old to celebrate on Sunday.
Priya Nadaraja, Nades Murugappan and their daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa were living in Biloela in 2018 when their bridging visas expired and they were taken into immigration detention.
The young family spent the past four years in detention in Melbourne, Christmas Island and most recently at community immigration in Perth.
They arrived back at their hometown on Friday after the Labor government intervened in the case and allowed them to return home, marking the end of a four-year campaign by Biloela locals.
Locals welcomed the family home with a number of public celebrations over the weekend, the last being Tharnicaa’s pink-themed birthday party held in Lions Park.
Birthday girl Tharnicca arrives for pink-themed party, her first outside immigration detention. She turns five.
— Omar Dehen (@Omar_Dehen) June 11, 2022
A chuffed Nadesalingam here. @SBSNewspic.twitter.com/c2xmuks3ez
Tharnicaa beamed as she wore a pink tiara, pink dress and coat as she played games with her family and supporters.
Children played pass-the-parcel and limbo, as pink streamers and balloons were hung to mark the celebration.
Tharnicaa indulged on multiple cakes decorated with pink and yellow icing.
“Happy Birthday Tharni and Kopi,” the cake read.
The family were all smiles as they welcomed their freedom and enjoyed their first milestone outside of detention.
The Nadesalingam family are still on temporary bridging visas, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there would be “no impediment” for the family to gain permanent visas.
“It was heartening to see the family returned home to Biloela yesterday,” Mr Albanese told reporters on Saturday.
“They received a welcome from a town that wanted them home.”
The family was welcomed back on Friday with a massive celebration which coincided with the town’s annual multicultural festival.
“We’re a better country than that. We can do better than that. My government will do better than that,” Mr Albanese said.
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