The children are "constantly crying", according to supporters of a Tamil asylum seeker family taken to Christmas Island for possible deportation from Australia.
Priya, her husband Nadesalingam and their Australian-born children Kopika, 4, and Tharunicaa, 2, were due to be expelled from Australia on Thursday night before an injunction was granted by a Federal Court judge.
Carina Ford, the lawyer representing the Tamil family who have been sent to Christmas Island, speaks to the media outside the Federal Court, Melbourne on Saturday. Credit:Chris Hopkins
Tamil Refugee Council spokesman Aran Mylvaganam on Saturday said Priya was receiving treatment on Christmas Island for wounds sustained from her removal from the Melbourne detention centre.
"It's been a very difficult 36 hours, not just for the family but for the supporters in the community as well," he said.
"When our supporters spoke with Priya this [Saturday] morning, she was telling us that the Christmas Island staff are treating their wounds from Thursday.
"Priya had her wrist twisted on Thursday when the guards tried to force her onto the plane - there were 50 guards involved in the removal from MITA (Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation) detention centre and we have footage of guards lining up at the tarmac when Priya was forcibly dragged from the van and in that process the wrist was twisted.
"The children are constantly crying. Kopika is feeling very lonely, and they are the only refugees on Christmas Island at the moment.
"We're calling on [Home Affairs Minister] Peter Dutton to let this family stay here. As members of the Tamil community, it's really heartbreaking for us to see our people being treated this way by our government.
"They came to this country just to find a safer place. Sri Lanka is a dangerous country for Tamils.
"Priya witnessed the death of her fiance who was burnt alive, together with her five of the men in her village, by the armed forces."
The family's lawyer Carina Ford said she spoke to Priya on Saturday and "the family are obviously distressed".
"I understand she has been distressed and there has been an issue potentially with her blood pressure, but we have passed those on and we understand that they will have access to medical care there and that is being looked at and they will come back to me as soon as possible," Ms Ford said.
While the family's case is scheduled to return to court next week, Ms Ford said the decision whether to allow them to stay in Australia was ultimately in the minister's hands.
"No matter what the outcome is ... at the end of the day it is still within the minister's hands because the minister is the only one who can lift the bar to allow them to apply for any type of visa."
Ellen Mugavin and her young daughter, Rumi, 3, had started visiting the family at MITA a couple of months ago.
Aran Mylvaganam from the Tamil Refugee Council speaks to the media outside the Federal Court on Saturday.Credit:Chris Hopkins
"I saw how the girls were being treated - they didn't have access to any other children except for the other child who's in detention," she said.
"They don't really have any toys. They're all vitamin D deficient because they don't have an outdoor space that's safe for them to play - it's littered with cigarettes and it's just terrible.
"We initially started visiting so the girls had someone to play with, basically.
"Kopika is very social, incredibly bright, she was fantastic.
"Tharunicaa struggles a little bit more socially but it makes complete sense - she's basically spent most of her life in detention.
"One thing about Kopika is she wants strawberries and they don't have access to strawberries. Fresh food is not really something that's provided.
"Tharunicaa's teeth were removed due to deformities associated with being malnourished."
Ms Mugavin said her daughter hated leaving the other children behind.
"She hates leaving. I say to her every time, 'You'd be the only person to ask to stay in detention."
Nic Holas, campaigns director at Change.org supporting the Bring Priya and her Beautiful Family Back Home to Biloela, Queensland petition said more than 220,000 people had signed by early Saturday afternoon.
"Yesterday morning, Peter Dutton repeated the statement that the Australian government has removed all children from detention," he said.
"Priya and Nadesalingam's two children are currently in detention on Christmas Island in an Australian territory, proving that that statement is a lie."
Goya Dmytryshchak is a reporter for The Age.
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