The father and sister of a sick four-year-old Tamil asylum seeker medically evacuated to Perth from Christmas Island, where her family has been detained since 2019, have arrived to support her.
Key points:
- Nades and Kopika Murugappan landed in Perth on Tusday evening
- A small band of supporters farewelled them from Christmas Island
- They will be allowed to stay in Perth while Tharnicaa receives treatment
The Murugappan family had been separated for a week after their youngest daughter, Tharnicaa, was flown to Perth for treatment for a blood infection.
Tharnicaa's mother, Priya, was allowed to accompany her to Perth, but her father, known as Nades, and her older sister, Kopika, were left on the island.
Nades and Kopika were this afternoon put on a flight and flown to Perth, where they will be permitted to stay under a community detention order.
A small group of supporters accompanied them to the island's airport and waved goodbye as the plane took off.
Supplied: @HomeToBilo
)More supporters gathered at Perth Airport to welcome them, carrying balloons and signs saying "Let Them Stay" and "Let them Live in Australia Permanently".
The pair were taken in a car and driven to Perth Children's Hospital.
Supplied: @HomeToBilo
)The reunion comes after Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Tuesday announced the family would be permitted to reside in suburban Perth, close to schools and support services, via a "community detention placement".
Western Australia's Health Department had asked the Department of Home Affairs to reunite the family in Perth for Tharnicaa's medical and psychological wellbeing, based on advice from her doctors.
Supplied: @HomeToBilo
)While Tharnicaa, who spent her fourth birthday at Perth Children's Hospital was in a stable condition, doctors said she was not yet fit to be discharged and could spend several more weeks in hospital.
Supplied: Angela Fredericks
)WA Health also asked for permission for the family to remain in the city because she would need ongoing specialised medical care.
Family spent three years in detention
The Murugappans — who are of Tamil ethnicity — have been facing a three-year legal battle against the Australian government, which wants them deported to Sri Lanka.
Pressure has been mounting on the Commonwealth to let the family return to Biloela, in central Queensland, where they were living before being taken into detention in 2018, when their bridging visas expired.
Supplied: Angela Fredericks
)Supporters in Perth and across the nation have been holding rallies and vigils, calling on the government to let the family stay in the country.
The WA Premier has called on the Commonwealth to provide the family with certainty about the future.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said earlier this week that the family would not be settled in Australia.
Mr Hawke said the community detention placement was not a pathway to permanent settlement.
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2021-06-15 09:22:01Z
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