On Friday 5 March 2021, dawn to dusk vigils were held around Australia to mark the third year that Priya, Nades, and their daughters, Kopika and Tharunicaa, have been held in detention.
In March 2018, Australian Border Force took this beautiful family away from their home in Biloela, Queensland and put them in a Melbourne detention centre. Now they're being held on Christmas Island, 5,000km from Biloela.
Priya and Nades came to Australia legally under international and Australian laws. Everyone has the human right to seek asylum from persecution, no matter how they arrive.
Priya and Nades are hard-working, productive members of the Biloela community. Biloela wants this family back.
For more information about the #hometobilo campaign and what you can do, visit the Home to Bilo website. To help bring Priya and her beautiful family back home to Biloela, please sign the petition.
Brisbane City Councillor (Gabba Ward) Jonathan Sri performs his powerful poem at the #HometoBilo Vigil in King George Square, Brisbane, on March 5th, 2021.
Video and photographs courtesy of Frederika Steen (Human Rights Advocate/Activist).
You can learn more about the issues facing refugees and people seeking asylum, via the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) website.