A Tamil family being held in immigration detention will be released on Tuesday and reunited in Perth, where they will now live.
The Murugappan family has been held on Christmas Island since 2019.
Last week, the family’s youngest daughter, four-year-old Tharnicaa, was medically evacuated to Perth for treatment for pneumonia and sepsis.
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Tharnicaa’s mother Priya is with her in hospital but her father and older sister are still on Christmas Island.
They will be reunited on Tuesday.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed the family will be released from detention and be allowed to live in the Perth community.
“In making this determination I am balancing the government’s ongoing commitment to strong border protection policies with appropriate compassion in circumstances involving children in held detention,” he said in a statement.
“I have not made a decision regarding exercising my powers under sections 46A and 48B following the family’s request that I consider additional health information which will take additional time.
“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.
“Today’s decision releases the family from held detention and facilitates ongoing treatment, while they pursue ongoing litigation before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Federal Court and High Court.”
But the family’s future remains uncertain, with the minister adding it doesn’t create a pathway to a visa for the family.
“As required by court orders, 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,” Hawke said.
“The Government’s position on border protection has not changed. Anyone who arrives in Australia illegally by boat will not be resettled permanently. Anyone who is found not to be owed protection will be expected to leave Australia.”
The family arrived by boat and established their home in the central Queensland town of Biloela and was put in immigration detention upon their visa expiry in 2018.
They were then transferred to Christmas Island in August 2019 after getting a reprieve from deportation.
Their release comes after mounting pressure from community groups, lawyers, doctors, opposition parties and coalition backbenchers.
Family’s response
The Murugappan’s family friend Angela Fredricks said Tuesday’s announcement was welcome.
“Bringing this family back together is the first step in getting them home to Bilo,” she said in a statement.
“We are pleased that the Department of Home Affairs is finally taking this family off Christmas Island, after more than three years of sub-standard care in immigration detention in Melbourne and on Christmas Island.”
But Fredricks added it’s hoped the decision to place the family in community detention in Perth is a temporary step.
“Community detention is no guarantee of safety and peace for this family,” she said.
“Nades is keen to get back to work in Biloela to support his young family, which he cannot do while the family is forced into community detention.
“Priya wants to enrol Kopika at Biloela State School to continue her education.
“And we promised little Tharni a big birthday party.
“Australia knows this family’s home is in Biloela.”