Fund launched to cover possible deportation debt for Biloela Tamil family

Australians are continuing to rally behind the Biloela Tamil family and have set up a special fund to help them.

People protest outside the Federal Court in Melbourne earlier this week.

People protest outside the Federal Court in Melbourne earlier this week. Source: Getty

Update: The campaign goal has since changed to $300,000 as the family may now only be liable for deportation costs rather than deportation and detention costs.

Supporters of a have set up a fund which could help cover a possible debt if they are sent back to Sri Lanka.

The fund was organised by close friend Angela Fredericks on Thursday and has already raised more than $44,000 for Priya, Nades and their Australian-born daughters.
More than $44,000 has already been raised.
More than $44,000 has already been raised. Source: gofundme.com
The family is currently being held on Christmas Island, as they await the outcome of a last-ditch legal effort to stay in Australia on Friday.

"Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton could force them from Australia to danger as soon as Friday," Ms Fredericks said in a statement.

"We need to work fast. That includes doing everything we can to keep our friends safe from the security forces known for imprisoning, torturing and disappearing tens of thousands of Tamil people like Priya and Nades. And we'll keep on fighting to bring them back home to Biloela," she said.

"As the pressure has been mounting, Mr Morrison has started saying that Priya and Nades can apply to migrate from Sri Lanka Australia 'like anyone else'."

"But what Mr Morrison isn't saying is that if this family is forced back to Sri Lanka, they’ll be slapped with a $1 million-plus debt which will stop that ever happening."
An earlier photo of the detained Tamil family from Biloela.
The family's fate will be considered at a court hearing in Melbourne on Friday. Source: Supplied
SBS News was sent the "Notices of Intention to Remove from Australia" for the family when they were removed from immigration detention in Melbourne last month.

"As explained to you at the time you were detained, you will be liable for the cost of your removal from Australia," the documents say.

"It is likely that you will not be able to be granted any further Australian visas until that debt has been repaid, or the Minister is satisfied that appropriate arrangements have been made for payment of this debt."
Protesters rally for the family in Melbourne.
Protesters rally for the family in Melbourne. Source: AAP
SBS News has sought comment from the Department for Home Affairs for this story but is yet to receive a reply.

The department has previously told SBS News: "this family's case has been assessed, over many years, by the department and various merits review bodies. These decisions have also been the subject of judicial review applications in the courts".
On Wednesday, Mr Morrison dismissed pleas to let the Biloela Tamil family stay as "Twitter public sentiment".

"It's about doing the right thing by the national interest. It's not about chasing public sentiment," he told reporters in Melbourne.
A rally calling to stop the deportation.
A rally calling to stop the deportation. Source: AAP
Priya and Nades came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 following Sri Lanka's civil war.

They settled in the Queensland town of Biloela for four years on a temporary bridging visa, which ran out in March 2018.

The couple and their two daughters have been at risk of deportation since the High Court denied their final bid to stay in May.

Both the Australian government and Sri Lankan diplomatic representatives in Australia maintain it is safe for them to return. 

With additional reporting from AAP


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3 min read
Published 5 September 2019 3:34pm
Source: SBS News


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