THE Ballarat community has galvanised behind a Tamil refugee family who sought asylum in the city but are now facing deportation back to Sri Lanka.
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Almost 1000 people have already signed an electric petition circulating social media pleading for Australia’s assistant Immigration and Border Protection Minister Michaelia Cash to intervene.
Neelavannan Para and his wife Suganthini fled Sri Lanka in 2008 in the midst of the civil war which ravaged the nation for years.
They sought asylum in Australia in 2012, before resettling in Ballarat in 2013.
The Courier understands the family have exhausted all avenues of staying in Australia. It is believed a last ditch request for ministerial intervention, prior to the petition being established, was denied by Ms Cash last week.
To date, there have been no assurances of the safety of the family if they were forced to return to Sri Lanka.
The couple have three daughters Nivash, 7, Kartie,5, and Nive,3.
Serious concerns have been raised that if the family were to be forced back to Sri Lanka, Kartie and Nive, would not be recongised as Sri Lankan citizens because they were born aboard.
Behind the scenes, a groundswell of support is growing to keep the family in Ballarat. Days ago, Ballarat refugee advocate Kate Moran started the CommunityRun petition which detailed the family’s plight.
Ms Moran was compelled to start the campaign so the Ballarat community have a voice in the desperate bid to keep the family in the city they have made their home.
“Gathering a show of community support is perhaps one of the most valuable things we can do at this point,” Ms Moran said. “These people are your children’s school friends, fellow club members, volunteers and neighbours.”
“They are the ones working beside you to create a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community. They have the simplest of hopes for themselves and their children.They want safety, an education, friendship and opportunity to live a happy life.”
The petition warned that there was “no life for this family” in Sri Lanka.
Although the Civil War ended in 2009, a harrowing regime of war crimes in Sri Lanka is still under investigation by the United Nations.
Reports of human rights abuses in the country continue with claims of serious mistreatment and torture of refugees who return to the nation.
Ms Moran said the family were “kind, generous, lovely people” who valued Ballarat and its people.
Her concerns were echoed by fellow refugee advocate Kath Morton who called on the Ballarat City Council and the city’s Members of Parliament to pledge support.
“The are the leading governing bodies for this city,” Ms Morton said. “It’s got to the stage where we need not only the support of the community, but also the higher powers that be.”
The Courier contacted the Para family directly but they were unable to comment due to ongoing legal action.
To sign the petition visit communityrun.org/petitions/don-t-send-this-family-back-to-sri-lanka.
Letters of support can also be sent to Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees, 32 Hillcrest Road Nerrina, 3350.
