Government finally shows compassion to Biloela family
Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke released a statement on Tuesday morning allowing the Sri Lankan family currently held in detention on Christmas Island to reside in the Perth community.
The government has spent $7 million keeping the family, commonly referred to as the Biloela family after the community where they used to reside, in detention on Christmas Island.
The family will now reside in suburban Perth through a community detention placement, close to schools and support services, while the youngest child receives medical treatment from the nearby Perth Children's Hospital and as the family pursues ongoing legal matters.
Mr Hawke said: "In making this determination I am balancing the government's ongoing commitment to strong border protection policies with appropriate compassion in circumstances involving children held in detention.
"I will consider at a future date whether to lift the statutory bar presently preventing members of the family from reapplying for temporary protection, for which they have previously been rejected."
Do you think the family should be given a visa to be able to settle in Australia permanently?
Australian Citizenship may be granted to children who are born and live in Australia for at least 10 years, these children can apply for Australia Citizenship even though their parents do not have a valid visa and are living illegally.
They are illegal immigrants, as proven in court cases. Their 'anchor babies' are not Australian citizens. Do NOT reward wrong-doing. If they stay, we may as well open our borders to all and sundry and dismantle Border Security. 'Boat people' like them will arrive in droves!
yes Pacahawi I agree the law is the law
No child and their family should be treated so badly.
It wasn't that long ago when Australians used to welcome boat people.
In the last year, their Christmas Island detention has cost taxpayers $1.4 Million. Yet these little Australian Children have malnutrition.
That says a lot about the law.
Sorry, Jackeo12, the children are not Australian. As the parents had no status in Australia, being illegal immigrants, any children born will adopt the citizenship of their parents. The cost to the taxpayer was raised because the family was found to be not classified as refugees, had entered the country illegally and a group of bleeding hearts challenged the decision through the courts, all of which found in favour of the government. The child was suffering from sepsis and pneumonia, not malnutrition. It's misinformation like your post that inflames the issue unnecessarily.
Pacahawi, I also agree with your comment; this could become a planned way around our immigration laws for 'boat people'
Three years in detention has cost over $7 Million in taxpayer to keep this family locked up.
SERCO a British-owned company runs Australia's detention and prison systems. All the money this company takes from Australia goes offshore. How good is that?
jackeo12: No child and their family should be treated so badly.
The only people who have treated this family badly are the so-called activists and do-gooders.
As others have quite rightly pointed out, this family has been assessed as illegal arrivals on multiple occasions in multiple courts over multiple years. The children have no rights conferred just because they were born here (it would behove the various politicians to check their facts before sounding off and making this a racial issue). That may be true in America which is exactly why heavily pregnant women will put their lives at risk and that of their baby, crossing into the USA so their child has the right to stay and by default, the mother and then the rest of the family gets to stay! But we are not the USA and this family should have been departed years ago. Had they been, they could have served their exclusion time and then made a legal application to return - as they were advised time and time again. They chose not to.
The fact that they chose to settle in a small town, and may well be 'nice people' is totally irrelevant. They broke the law, they have been through all levels of the Australian judicial system and been told the same thing every. Single. Time. Bleeding hearts now over the last 2-3 years on Christmas Island are the very reason they have been detained there. They were on a flight back to Sri Lanka that was made to set down because of yet another legal challenge by their activists.
They must NOT be allowed to stay here. The child deserves the medical attention she is getting, but then should be deported at the earliest opportunity once she has recovered.
Our borders have been open by plane. Refugees use sophisticated methods and tactics to stay in Australia since 2012.
The problem was in determining them as illegal immigrants even although they claimed political asylum. They claimed, with some justification that as Tamils they faced execution on return to Srl Lanka which did happen to some who were returned.
The Government claims that by deporting them they are saving lives of boat people who might drown trying to get here. The fact is that people claiming asylum now fly into Australia but we don't here much about that.
The difference with people flying in and those landing illegally by boat is that those flying in have documentation to prove who they are and a visa to allow them to arrive legally. Unless those people overstay their visa approval they are legally allowed to be in Australia.
Sue Ridge, forged Passports, ID Cards, Driver's licenses, and other legal documents can be bought online on the dark web as well as in many countries.
I hope that this decision is only short term. What has not been made well known is that both parents returned to Sri Lanka on a holiday which makes their claim to be in danger in their own country in doubt. Should the government choose to ignore Australian law and allow this family to remain in Australia will set a very dangerous precedent. It could mean that any illegal immigrant who has a child born in Australia will be able to refer to this decision as a test case and who knows what a court may then decide.
It must be noted that the parents arrived illegally and were found not to have refugee status as the threats in Sri Lanka were no longer evident. Their case was championed by a group to challenge the Minister's decision and they were allowed to remain, albeit in detention, while the court cases proceeded. Each court that the matter was referred to upheld the government's decision and an appeal to the High Court was disallowed. As the family were being loaded onto a plane for return to Sri Lanka, an injunction was filed on behalf of the younger daughter and that is why they were flown to Christmas Island in lieu of Sri Lanka.
Whether or not one has compassion for this family is irrelevant under law. Australia has strict immigration laws and these have been made to keep the citizens safe. People who break those laws should not be rewarded just because they are liked by a few local people or whether they have children born in Australia. As harsh as it may seem , the law is the law and if there are no laws there is chaos. Similarly, if there are laws that are not enforced then there inevitably will be chaos. The laws have been broken and a decision has been made to deport the lawbreakers.
What I don't understand is why the injunction filed on behalf of the younger daughter was granted, on what basis?? Born in Australia is not a valid reason as has been stated previously, the child belongs to the nationality of the parents, neither who had PR or citizenship.
Sue Ridge, Australian Citizenship may be granted to children who are born and live in Australia for at least 10 years, these children can apply for Australia Citizenship even though their parents do not have a valid visa and are living illegally.
Thank you for the lesson on citizenship, Jackeo12, would you also tell us how this apples to the topic?
Jackeo children born in Australia assume the same legal status as their parents. They do NOT get Australian citizenship by the accident of their birth.
That is true in the USA which is exactly why heavily pregnant women cross the border, or get pregnant when they arrive.
And if they can apply in their own right after 10 years, you are condemning them to a further 6-5 years of detention. Far better they return to Sri Lanka - where incidentally they have visited over the years in total safety - wait out their exclusion time then apply to come back. It would be quicker!
The law is the law. Yes, but it is made by flawed human beings, and is often venal and made for purely political purposes. Very often it is neither fair nor equitable, and used to make life more difficult and onerous than it should be. Christianity, which forms the base of many systems of law, keeps the legal requirements very simple. Love God, and love your neighbour as yourself. The parable of the 'Good Samaritan' is an example of that principle.
However, in Australia we have, and have had, prime ministers and other ministers of the crown who claim to be Christian, but pass laws and act in a way that deny their Creator and the founder of their religion. In other words they are hypocrites, who use their power and position to abuse those who seek refuge, and who have no power to resist such abuse.
Is it beyond their mental capacity to devise a humane immigration system for those who don't have money or resources? No. But it is so much easier to look 'tough' and to penalise the weak and powerless.
With this latest announcement, we shall see if the government is actually doing anything for the Murrugappan family, or just covering their backsides and trying to worm their way out of their unjustifiable, inhumane and un-Christian treatment. After three years on gulag Christmas Island, they should be given their 'ticket of leave' and allowed to stay. After all, isn't it better to have people who are prepared to work for the country, than self-important 'leaders' who are a drain on the nation?
You are completely wide of the mark in calling whatever religious affiliations members of the Government may or may not have. Your post is despicable.
Individual religious affiliations have no part to play in this or any other immigration case.
BillF2, I agree. This family is being used as a political target to keep fear-mongering party votes.
International crime organization members enter Australia with false passports and identifications by plane all the time. Criminals have been deported and reenter on different passports.
Australian borders are not secure at all.
Sue Ridge,
Mr Dutton told 2GB radio in an interview the family’s father had traveled from Australia while his matter was still before the courts. The minister went on to say he had traveled to Qatar, Kuwait, and back to Sri Lanka.
After arriving in Australia in 2012, the family's father was issued a bridging visa that did not allow him to exit and return to Australia, making what Mr Dutton says untrue and simply impossible.
I cannot believe the waste of money in this case and many more. Why, because the gov't (both majors) allows them access to the legal/court system. They and all the others that come here should be immediately turned around. Sent back to their home country and never allowed to return, including all family members. Why are we allowing 'parasite legal fraternity' to rip millions from the economy.
Would it have anything to do with the fact that they heavily inhabit the parliament? Lining their pockets and living 'high on the hog'.
Your comment has merit, mogo51, but the reason for all of the legal complications is because here we respect the rights of people to a fair and just judicial protest, even if the people have arrived here illegally. I blame the advocates of refugees for creating this problem. They have used our legal system, in my view wrongly, to try and break a law with which they don't agree. I believe that if there is a law with which you don't agree, you don't break it, you make every effort that you can to change it.
What a horrible uncaring, pitilessness, cold-hearted & totally pathetic bunch on this site. One attribute thankfully the majority of the younger generation hasn't copied from their parents, elders & peers.
Disgusted with all who are plainly in support of this governments cruel, costly & unjust actions.
No case is clear cut & each case needs to be looked at individually. And WHY does it take years sometimes decades to come to a decision one way or the other?
Shame on all of you pathetic bunch of !##%Q#
Scott Morrison, there is NO GOD as a true GOD would strike you down for what you really are.
Cry me a river, this self indulgent family who should have left years ago when told to do so instead of allowing the do-gooders to drag this out at enormous cost to the Australian tax payers. They would be aware of the cost but obviously couldn't give a damn; they do not deserve to stay.
Garbage from another unemphatic soul who doesn't fully know the true facts & is blinded by an uncaring PM and his government.
If they shouldn't be in Australia WHY has the PM allowed this to drag on & imprison a family for over 2 years & not just returned them to country of origin. Because it's the governments decision to let it drag on that's the sole reason.
& it's the governments decision to place them in a prison that cost's millions a year to keep them.
Nice to see such compassion from the media, labor leadership and the Biloela community. The only problem is, there are roughly another 1 billion people in Africa, half of whom would be even more desirable of coming to live in Biloela and even more justified on compassionate grounds. Then there are about1.25 people in India, half of who would be even more qualified and willing to join the Biloela community. In the combined middle east area another half a billion or so with more than half desperate to escape their present situation and enjoy this wonderfully generous and benevolent country. All that is needed is to arrive by whatever means necessary and have a baby. In nine months the Biloela community could possibly swell by about 1.5 billion or more. To resist this would be totally heartless wouldn't you agree? Surely they wouldn't be any threat to the Australian way of life, would they?
Karl Marx could not agree more. If this sorry saga was not so sad it would make a good comedy. Do people really think that the settling of this poor family will see heaps of boats arriving ?? Shame, shame.
The fact that the government has kept small children and their parents in detention for such a long time especially during the most important developmental stages of the children's lives means that the only way to try to balance out the damage done is to let them return to Biloela where the community really wants them and let them try to get back some sort of normalcy. Read the fact check link that Froggy kindly posted and get your facts straight. To all the people who are afraid that this will open up the floodgates, open up your hearts and allow this family, who are only after a safe and happy home, to be part of our kind, compassionate Australia. Stop believing the heartless political leaders who can only rule by making you all afraid of the boogeyman. It's a fact that politicians lie and make up scary stories to keep you under their spell. Please welcome this poor unfortunate little family home to Biloela!
Hundreds stand in the rain outside Perth Children's Hospital in support of this family. God must be crying at yet another injustice. Free this family.
Refugee boats will not arrive... we have guns to prevent this and border force. Stop using these children and their parents as a POLITICAL FOOTBALL !!!!!
Sophie, if God is crying at yet another injustice why isn't he disciplining his disciple Morrison. Just goes to show how Morrison is only sympathetic to his own personal cause. Talks to God every Sunday but doesn't listen to him when God wants some intelligent empathy & compassion to be bestowed up on his children.
Shame Morrison, Shame
I would just like to know, if a baby is born on a plane mid-air, what nationality would that child be granted,? the nationality of the airline, such as Qantas (Australian) British Airways (British) or Singapore Airlines, or the same if the child was born on a cruise ship. This should be a lively discussion on here.
By the photo above it looks as it is not going to be too long before another child in Australia is born to this couple.