Tharnicaa & Christmas Island

Written By Sandy Boyce on June 9, 2021

Thursday 10th June update
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has ruled out NZ or US resettlement for Biloela Tamil family, just days after New Zealand and the US were raised as options for the family’s future. Minister Andrews now says neither are possible. Marise Payne had also flagged both countries as options for the Biloela Tamil family. Full story here.

Minister Karen Andrews must step in to bring this family home to the safety of the Biloela community. People may wish to express concern by contacting Minister Karen Andrews’ electorate office, (07) 5580 9111, and at Parliament House (02) 6277 7860. (The person taking your call is employed in the Minister’s office – please be polite while at the same time putting the case for the Minister to intervene).
What has happened to Tharnicaa (who turns 4 years old on Saturday 14th June) on Christmas Island is totally unacceptable. She had to be medically evacuated to Perth for treatment of suspected septicaemia, a potentially deadly blood infection. It has been reported that the young girl’s condition had escalated because of untreated pneumonia.
Tharnicaa’s mother, Priya Murugappan, said the family had been asking for the little girl to be taken to the public hospital on Christmas Island, but medical contractors at the Christmas Island immigration detention centre had denied the requests for almost 2 weeks. The Federal government contracts International Health and Medical Services to provide primary and mental health care services at the detention centre. IHMS has refused to say when Ms Murugappan first asked for her daughter to be transferred to hospital, or how many times she asked. The medical contractor had initially dismissed Tharnicaa’s symptoms “as the common cold”. Tharnicaa had been suffering a high fever, vomiting/diarrhoea and dizziness.
When she was eventually taken to the local hospital, staff decided she was so sick they ordered the evacuation flight.
At so many levels, what has happened is wrong, cruel and dangerous.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has refused to comment on the family’s predicament, except to say “a range of resettlement options” are under negotiation. It is unclear what is meant by “resettlement options”.
The family had previously settled in the Queensland town of Biloela and the community remain eager to have them return. Priya and husband Nades lived in Biloela after arriving separately, by boat, as refugees from Sri Lanka. Tharnicaa and her six-year-old sister Kopika were born in Australia.The family’s removal from the town and subsequent detainment in 2018 sparked backlash in the community. They have been in immigration detention on Christmas Island since 2019. Locals have maintained a strong campaign for their return “home to Bilo”.
Minister Karen Andrews must step in to bring this family home back to Biloela from Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre. The Biloela community embraced the family, who were living quietly in the community, working and paying their taxes. The family should be able to resume living in the community while the legal case before the courts is worked through.
This is NOT opening the floodgates nor a signal for the boats to begin again – despite the well rehearsed and oft used mantra.