It seemed that the coinvention regarding Australian citizenship was perfectly clear. Children born on Australian soil automatically gained the legal right to call Australia home, but for the past three years two sisters who meet that condition haver been detained on Christmas Island awaiting deportation to Sri Lanka.
The problem is that their parents came here as " boat people " and as such lacked the right to settle. They were held in detention while an appeal was heard and during that time lived in the Queensland town of Biloela. During that time their two daughters -Tharnicca and Kopika were born and the entuire family was moved to Christmas Island in the Indian Oceran.
At the time of their arrival, boat people were coming ashore in droves and the government stopped the flow by promising that none would be allowed to settle here. New arrivals were settled in the government transit camps while negotiations proceeded to move them to other countries.
They were good citizens during their time in Biloela and its citizens would welcome their return, but the Australian government fears that if it reneges on its promise and allows them to settle it will provoke a new wave of boat people arrivals.
When Tharnicca became desperately ill the family was moved back to Australia so she could get specialist treatment. The parliament is still trying to negotiate their removal to New Zealand or the United States. We have the ridiculous situation of a family of four living in a vast offshore detention camp at a coast of $ 6.7 million so far. Their plight has been taken up by government politicians and the myth has been shattered that adequate medical attention can be given at a camp 2000 metres from Perth's Childrens hospital.
All this is obviously an embarrassment to Australia. It seems the government may go to the next Federal election with this Muruggappan family in offshore limbo and when Tharnicca fully recovers they may be returned to Christmas island.
The government is splitting straws. The two Australian born daughters are clearly entitled to Australian citizenship, and their parents are not. The government is defending its decision on principle and clearly the public opinion in Australia is solidly behind allowing the family to settle here.
It would be an act of grace and favour to allow them to return to Biloea in Queensland where they would be warmly welcomed. Most people think they have earned the right to be permanwently settled in Australia as a result of their Christmas island adventure.
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