Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that, if elected, the Coalition is not sympathetic to moves to allow the Murugappan family to return to the community of Biloela in central Queensland.
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Priya and Nades, two Tamil refugees who came to Australia separately from Sri Lanka a decade ago to seek asylum, are living with their two Australian-born daughters in Perth after being held in long-term detention on Christmas Island.
The refugee family, which was removed by Australian Border Force officials from Biloela in 2018, has become a flashpoint in the political debate over Australia's immigration policy.
While the family is now out in the community, four-year-old Tharnicaa has been refused a bridging visa, which means they can't return to community support in Biloela.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke was asked on the second-last day of the election campaign about the family's fate, and whether he would personally intervene in the case.
While The Canberra Times understands the matter is before the minister, Mr Morrison answered on behalf of the minister that it was still not determined in the courts.
"There has been no finding of protection for the family. That is what our law requires for protection to be provided with such a visa," he told reporters in Sydney.
Labor has pledged that the family will be freed almost immediately, to be allowed to return to Biloela. There's also sympathy within the Morrison government, including from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and from the Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro, Jerry Nockles.
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Pressed on whether the minister would use his discretion to allow the family to stay, Mr Morrison indicated that was not going to happen under a Coalition government.
"There is no protection owed. They have not been found to be refugees," Mr Morrison said.
"And so Australia's rules do not permit permanent visas for people who have not been found to be refugees. That is the government's policy. It hasn't changed."
Supporters of the family reject the Prime Minister's assertion they have not been found to be refugees. They insist that Tharnicaa, the youngest daughter, has never had a proper asylum claim assessment.
The hardline response was in line with the Prime Minister's tough stance during the election campaign on his history of creating the controversial Operation Sovereign Borders policy, with boat turn-backs, temporary protection visas and offshore immigration processing.
Mr Morrison has sought to create a wedge within Labor over immigration policy, accusing Anthony Albanese of being "soft" on border protection. The ALP, however, has shadowed the government on the policy, apart from vowing to end temporary protection visas.
Labor's costings released on Thursday showed abolishing TPVs and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas and creating a new permanent visa subclass would cost $39 million in the 2022-23 federal budget, $48 million in 2023-24, $129 million in 2024-25 and $191 million in 2025-26.