Biloela Family Permanent Residency Is A Massive Win, But Now The Government Needs To Help Others
"Sending one family still on temp visas back to Biloela does nothing to address the 200+ refugees still in purgatory."
All eyes are on the Albanese Government to extend the same grace granted to the Biloela family to the hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees still stuck in offshore detention.
The Tamil family from Sri Lanka finally received permanent residency — and the freedom to remain in their regional Queensland community — after more than four years of turmoil on Friday, by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. But while their devastating chapter has finally closed, countless others have been left on the same page.
“Congratulations to this beautiful family, but let’s say everything in [Australia] is about white saviour culture,” wrote author and journalist Behrouz Boochani on Twitter. “The very public return of this family is a paradoxical and challenging story [especially] when we remember that there are more 100s refugees remaining in Port Moresby and Nauru.”
FUCK YEAH JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT SENDING ONE FAMILY STILL ON TEMP VISAS BACK TO BILOELA MEANS VERY LITTLE WHILE THE NEW GOVERNMENT DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE 200+ REFUGEES STILL IN PURGATORY & DIRE HEALTH ON NAURU & PNG & HUNDREDS MORE ONSHORE THANKS HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND
— Nadine von Cohen (@nadinevoncohen) August 5, 2022
Mother Priya Nadesalingam, said in May that she hoped the newly elected government would extend the same courtesy to anyone who had endured similar fates to herself, her husband Nades, and two young daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa.
“My prayer is that this government will make a change to the lives of every single refugee who comes here,” she said to journalist Barry Divola in Australian Women’s Weekly. “They need hope. I had the support of Nades and we had the support of the people of Bilo. But many others don’t have that support.”
In addressing the announcement, Giles said the Albanese Government had carefully considered the family’s “complex and specific circumstances”, but warned that boats manned by people smugglers would continue to be intercepted and turned away from Australia.
The latest statistics state that there are over 200 people still in Nauru and Papua New Guinea processing facilities, while it is estimated that there are around 30,000 asylum seekers currently on bridging visas without the security and stability of permanent residency.
Family friend Angela Fredericks told the ABC that she hoped the Nadesalingam family’s story would spur change in Australia’s immigration laws.
“I think it’s demonstrating that Australians as a whole want to have a new discussion — a frank discussion — about our immigration policies. Australians are tired of watching people be persecuted in our name for the simple fact they’ve come to our shores looking for safety,” she said.
“I hope this case does make our government rethink our immigration policies.”
Photo Credit: HometoBilo/Twitter