Government going to "extraordinary efforts" to keep Biloela family in detention: Keneally

Labor Senator Kristina Keneally has met with a Tamil asylum seeker family removed from the Queensland town of Biloela and held in detention on Christmas Island for over three years.

Keneally says the government is going to "extraordinary efforts" to deport the family, despite a community campaign to keep them in the country.

Guest: Kristina Keneally, Labor Senator

Producer:

Max Chalmers

Statement from the Department of Home Affairs:

• Both adults arrived in Australia illegally by boat. After arriving separately in Australia, they met and married and had two children.

• The family’s claims to engage Australia’s protection obligations have been comprehensively assessed on a number of occasions by the Department of Home Affairs, various merits review bodies and appealed though multiple courts including the Federal Court to the High Court. 

• At no time has any member of the family been found to have engaged Australia’s protection obligations.

• Noting the family has ongoing matters before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further on the specifics of their legal circumstances.

• The ABF regularly consult the family around any concerns to accommodation arrangements (including sleeping setup) to ensure their suitability and make changes where warranted. No concerns have been raised by the family in relation to these arrangements.

• Accommodation facilities consist of multiple rooms including a separate kitchen and dining facility and adjoining lounge room with a dedicated play area. The parents’ bedroom has an ensuite bathroom.

• The family has access to health and welfare services, including age appropriate education for the children and recreational activities.

• Services include:

  Crèche facilities, where the children can socialise with other children and can access both an indoor and outdoor play area.

  The children attend the local Christmas Island Public School
  A range of excursions continue to be offered to the family, including picnics, sightseeing and children’s dance and yoga classes.

  The family have access to the internet with a PC located in their accommodation.

  They can also readily contact family, friends, support network and lawyers via personal mobile phones and onsite landline phones, in addition to an account to make video calls.