Tamil Asylum Seeker Family Start Their Journey Home To Biloela

A Tamil asylum seeker family have begun their emotional journey back to Queensland.

After four years of uncertainty, the Murugappan family of four, who have been fighting deportation since 2018, will land in Brisbane for a pitstop on Wednesday, before arriving home to Biloela on Friday.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing - keeping you in the loop with news as it hits

Speaking at Perth Airport, Priya, Tharnicaa and Kopika’s mother, thanked the community and her family for the support they received while living in WA.

“Me and my family are very happy to start our journey back to my community in Bilo,” she said. “Thank you to all in Perth, thanks WA.”

Priya also offered her heartfelt gratitude to Perth Children’s hospital, after staff cared for her four-year-old daughter Tharnicaa, following her medical evacuated from Christmas Island with a blood infection caused by untreated pneumonia.

"I’m very grateful to the Perth Children’s hospital. I have made great friends ... me and my family are very happy to start our journey back to my community in Bilo," she said.

"Thank you to all in Perth – love you, Perth, thank you.

Priya and Nades Murugappan came to Australia from Sri Lanka as refugees during a protracted ethnic conflict targeting the minority Tamils.

They were granted temporary visas before settling in Biloela in central Queensland, where they created a home with their Australian born daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa, before being uprooted and sent into detention.

The families long-awaited to return to their home in the regional Queensland town of Biloela was announced following Labor's Federal Election win.

The Murugappan's were well regarded in the close-knit town of Biloela, with friends and community leaders fighting for their return since they were taken away in an early morning raid by the Australian Border Force in 2019.

For Australians looking for intelligent and unbiased news coverage, join renowned journalist Natarsha Belling on Your Morning Agenda for breaking national and international stories as well as the top business and finance stories - every weekday from 6:30am on Listnr