“They’re finally really and truly home because they get that permanency and freedom and safety – which is what they wanted ever since they set foot in Australia,” she said.
“We feel like this is it now, they’re going to be safe living in Australia. It’s just that sense of peace and relief that only permanency can give people.”
The family’s lawyer said the decision meant they did not have to go through any more litigation and could move on.
“Look, as a lawyer, you don’t always have a happy ending to cases, but it’s nice after working on something for so long to be able to help fulfill their hopes and dreams, and to bring to an end what has been a particularly difficult period for them in immigration detention,” Ford said.
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Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews said granting the family permanent visas would set a “high-profile precedent”.
“It undermines the policy that if you come here illegally you will never settle in Australia. Last time Labor was in government, more than 50,000 people arrived here illegally on more than 820 boats,” she said in a statement.
“Tragically, at least 1200 people died at sea. Together with Labor’s policy to abolish temporary protection visas, this gives people smugglers a product to sell to desperate families and people.”
But Giles said the government would continue to intercept and return any unauthorized boats attempting to reach the country.
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“For anyone who attempts to migrate via an unauthorized boat to Australia – you will be caught, returned or sent to a regional processing country,” he said.
“I do not want people to die in a boat on a journey when there is zero chance of settling in Australia. This has not changed since the last Government. We are not considering changing this policy.”
The Nadesalingam family were taken into immigration detention about four years ago, and moved to Christmas Island in 2019 before being shifted to Perth as they fought to remain in Australia.
Before their detention, the family had lived in the rural Queensland town of Biloela, south-west of Gladstone.