"Mom's eyes are red in the morning": the beloved Ballarat family makes a passionate appeal to the Australian government for its protection



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The five faces of a beloved Ballarat family are marked by concern as they fight for protection in Australia.

Neelavannan Paramanathan, or Neil Para, as he prefers to be known, his wife Suganthini, or Sugaa, and their three children – Nivash, 11, Kartie, 8, and Nive, 6 – are well known faces in the community.

The family fled Sri Lanka to Australia by boat in 2012, desperate to flee the religious and racial discrimination she faced in her home country, in the civil war between her people – the Tamils ​​- to the government. So desperate to flee the violence that Sugaa was eight months pregnant.

After leaving detention, the family received a Bridging Visa E (BVE) allowing them to live in the community with rights to work and study.

In September 2013, the family chose to move to Ballarat to start their new life, but the following year, in February 2014, these rights were removed, including the ability to access medical services through the facility. Medicare bias.

The family's future has been on hold for five years now, as they stubbornly try to find all the solutions to protect themselves from Australia. Now, in the last effort for a positive decision, they appeal to the federal government for help.

Mr. Para has failed to apply for another intermediate visa to allow his family to stay in Australia as long as his immigration status is resolved. He said that the whole process of getting protection had been complicated, confusing and, most of all, extremely stressful.

"We thought something would happen this year, but it's been a long time, and the wait has been very long and frustrating," he said.

His lawyer recently sat down and told him that he should inform his children of their situation, their relay visa application having been rejected on a continuous basis, so they turn to the government for an intervention.

PLEA: Sisters Nivash Neelavannan (11), Kartie Neelavannan (8.5) and Nive Neelavannan (6) each wrote a letter to Premier Scott Morrison. Photo: Kate Healy

PLEA: Sisters Nivash Neelavannan (11), Kartie Neelavannan (8.5) and Nive Neelavannan (6) each wrote a letter to Premier Scott Morrison. Photo: Kate Healy

After explaining to the girls why they had fled Sri Lanka, the three sisters wrote moving letters explaining how the stranger had affected their family. The letter from his eldest daughter, Nivash, has been shared hundreds of times online.

"We were upset when we heard the news and wanted to do something to make Mom and Dad feel happier," said Nivash.

Although the Sri Lankan civil war officially ended in 2009, the division in the country remains. Mr Para said the family could not return to Sri Lanka because it was not certain that they would be safe.

"We can not think of going back, the children have grown up here – our three daughters – and there is no security or protection for girls in Sri Lanka," he said.

"I share this letter in the hope that a miracle will happen. I have the impression of being almost Australian – my English is different, my color is different but I do all that others are doing We are waiting today to call ourselves Australians We want to be good citizens here.

Neil Para

Contribution to the community

Since they can not work, the family's bills are paid for by the Ballarat community – Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees, Uniting Church and St Vincent's Paul.

Children continue to go to Black Hill Elementary School – where they flourish and have won many leadership awards – but it was a blow for their parents, who want nothing more than to work and contribute to the community they love so much.

Since they have no rights to work, both adults spend most of their time volunteering. Mr. Para has been a volunteer in the state's emergency department for more than three years (with over 200 jobs since his training), while Sugaa is a volunteer in a senior care facility.

The beloved family makes a pbadionate appeal to the Australian government

"I was a hard worker and I did not want to stay at home," Para said.

He has won numerous awards for his community service in various groups.

Sugaa said she loved her volunteer work and that it was thanks to her work at the senior care center that she learned English.

"When I started volunteering, I did not know English or study rights, so I learned to talk to people," she said.

All three girls are successful and have big dreams, but like all kids, they like to play sports, sing songs, dance, write stories and do crafts. And they all love going to school and playing with their friends.

Nivash, a pbadionate student, has big dreams.

"I'm interested in science, math, writing, reading and sometimes I get confused while trying to make art," Nivash said. "When I grow up and become a cardiologist, I will do many wonderful things for Australia, I will do my best for Australia because I have friends I can trust and I everyone I know is here. "

Community support

Merle Hathaway, a member of Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees, said the whole family was a tremendous badet to the community and the group fully supported them.

"They are essential to this community and Neil has done a lot for us and other community groups," she said.

Catherine King, Ballarat MP, said the family was a valued member of the community. She had written twice to the Minister of the Interior, Peter Dutton, to defend the family, and would do it again.

"Their children go to school here, and Neelavannan and Suganthini participate in many community and volunteer groups," she said. "This family is an badet to our community, and this is reflected in the continued support that they have received."

The sight of Ditchy.

The sight of Ditchy.

This was echoed by Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh, who said the family was well loved.

"I have all the support of Neil and his family in Ballarat." I watched [them] over several years. The community is surrounded [Neil] and his family and it has been a comforting experience for everyone to see the way [they] have contributed to Ballarat, "she said.

"Their volunteer contributions and support to the community have been outstanding."

Immigration status

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said he was not commenting on individual cases.

"All applications for protection are badessed individually according to their merits", said The mail Lily. "These decisions may be the subject of judicial review and the judicial system, but once these legal remedies have been exhausted and the courts have ruled that the protection is no longer owed, the applicants had to leave Australia voluntarily.

"The conditions for granting Australian nationality require (among other things) that the applicant be a permanent resident, have lived in Australia for four years on a valid visa and meet the criteria of morality."

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