A Tamil asylum seeker family is expected to be deported from Melbourne Airport tonight, according to advocacy group Home to Bilo.
Nades, Priya and their two young children had been living at Biloela in Central Queensland before being placed in an immigration detention in Melbourne in March 2018 when Priya's bridging visa expired.
Simone Cameron, a former resident of Biloela, taught the family English and fears for their safety.
"I get a video call and their whole unit is surrounded by about 20 guards and Priya was just sitting in a chair," Ms Cameron said.
"I just knew, I couldn't tell because there was so much noise, but they were there and they were bring deported tonight."
Ms Cameron said the family were separated and put into vans.
Advocacy group, Home to Bilo, urged people to go to the airport to support the family.
Family fear persecution in Sri Lanka
The family have been fighting the deportation case on the basis they have a fear of persecution if they return to Sri Lanka because of past family links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
That was rejected by authorities and the Federal Court dismissed the assertion their case had not been given adequate consideration.
In May this year, the High Court dismissed the family's application to have their cased reviewed.
Nades and Priya arrived in Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 and had been living and working in Biloela for around three years.
They married and had two daughters in Australia — four-year-old Kopika and two-year-old Tharunicaa.
Biloela residents have rallied around the family, campaigning for their return to the community.
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