Defence Minister Peter Dutton has expressed his frustration after a family of Tamil asylum seekers has been temporarily relocated from Christmas Island to Perth.
The family will not be allowed back to their Queensland hometown of Biloela and will stay in Perth until their legal fight against deportation is resolved.
Dutton has long argued the family isn’t owed protection and should be deported back to Sri Lanka.
“It’s been a frustrating case because every court, every tribunal, every decision-maker has been very clear to this family that they are not refugees,” Dutton said.
“This family has not ever been found to be owed protection.
“We’ve got to be very careful,” he said.
Dutton also spoke to 2GB radio, claiming that showing the family compassion by allowing them to stay would send the wrong message to people smugglers.
“I wish her every good health and speedy return back to Sri Lanka,” he said.
“But this is a situation that is of their own making, it is ridiculous, it is unfair on their children, and it sends a very bad message to other people who think they can rort the system as well.”
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has called out Dutton’s claims, saying it “preposterous” to suggest people smugglers were following the case.
“This is a family of a meat worker, his wife and two-Australian-born kids from a regional town in Queensland,” he told reporters.
“They should just let them go back there and live out their lives.”
