Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

Family friend of Biloela Tamils stuck on Christmas Island says mental health of two daughters at risk

byMark Bowling
20 July 2020 - Updated on 15 June 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Biloela Tamil family

Struggling: There’s strong community support for the Biloela’s Tamil family as lawyers argue the youngest daughter’s case should be re-assessed. Photo: Twitter / HometoBilo

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A FRIEND of the Biloela Tamil family at the centre of a high-profile legal battle to stay in Australia says the mental health of the family’s two young children is deteriorating as wait on Christmas Island for a ruling.

Nadesalingam Murugappan, known as Nades, and Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam, known as Priya, and their two Australian born daughters Kopika, 4, and Tharunicaa, 2, had been living in the central Queensland town of Biloela, but were taken to an immigration detention when their visas expired in March, 2018.

They were held in detention in Melbourne, before an attempt to deport them last August.

 Since then the family has been held on Christmas Island.

Lawyers for the youngest daughter are appealing a Federal Court decision in the hope her visa application will be automatically re-assessed.

Last September the Federal Court ruled there is enough evidence for Tharunicaa’s visa protection claim to go to trial.

The ruling means the whole family can stay in Australia until the case is finalised

Family friend Angela Fredericks said she had seen a deterioration in Kopika’s mental wellbeing as the family struggled “in difficult circumstances” in detention.

“It is currently school holidays which is always difficult for Kopika who is currently in Prep,” Ms Fredericks told The Catholic Leader.

“She really hates not getting to see her friends and have the freedom she experiences while at school.”

Related Stories

NZ deal welcomed, but other asylum-seekers need a solution

Faith leaders highlight plight of asylum seekers

Bishops demand asylum seekers freedom eight years on

“In talking to Priya I can hear the depression in her voice as she and Nades continue to keep the girls occupied and attempt to keep busy.”

The Tamil family has fought and lost numerous court battles to remain in Australia, saying they fear persecution if they are returned to Sri Lanka.

Their bid for asylum hinges on the case of the youngest daughter Tharunicaa, with lawyers arguing her claim for asylum had not been properly assessed.

The Federal Government has maintained the status of Tharunicaa is linked to that of the rest of her family, and their bids for protection visas were denied in 2017.

Ms Fredericks said Priya continues to experience health concerns relating to her shoulder injury from being man-handled during the deportation attempt last August.

“This makes life difficult as she is unable to be as hands on with the girls or even with being able to do cleaning and other tasks,” Ms Fredericks said.

“Just recently the family have been allowed to attend the movie nights that are hosted on the Island.

“This has given them a feeling of normality getting to go and partake in this community event.

“It felt like we were discussing a normal situation as Priya told me about the outing.

“The community on the island have been incredibly welcoming of the family and I know they hate seeing them constantly escorted by guards.”

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Want to transform your life? Look to the ‘foolishness of the cross’

Next Post

Brisbane deacon says Vatican parish guidelines confirms need for personal encounter with Christ

Mark Bowling

Mark is the joint winner of the Australian Variety Club 2000 Heart Award for his radio news reporting in East Timor, and has also won a Walkley award, Australia’s most-respected journalism award. Mark is the author of ‘Running Amok’ that chronicles his time as a foreign correspondent juggling news deadlines and the demands of being a husband and father. Mark is married with four children.

Related Posts

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen
News

NZ deal welcomed, but other asylum-seekers need a solution

28 March 2022
Faith leaders highlight plight of asylum seekers

Faith leaders highlight plight of asylum seekers

15 February 2022
Australia

Bishops demand asylum seekers freedom eight years on

19 July 2021
Next Post
A parish in Brisbane

Brisbane deacon says Vatican parish guidelines confirms need for personal encounter with Christ

Students from St Laurence's College

St Laurence’s hosts the national launch of Catholic Mission’s Socktober

Wagga’s newly installed bishop humbled to be 'an answer to prayers'

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

by Mark Bowling
16 May 2022
0

LAIDLEY parishioners in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane are relieved after floodwater rose to the top...

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

16 May 2022
The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

16 May 2022
Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

15 May 2022
Link between porn and partner violence growing

Link between porn and partner violence growing

14 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping