While it appears that things have gone quiet, please be assured that behind the scenes a lot continues to happen. The lawyers for the family are working tirelessly on the case before the full hearing, the date of which has still not been decided.
Being in limbo is better than my friends being bundled onto another plane, but all this could end with the stroke of a minister’s pen. While we wait, we have to be ready for anything.
The eyes of the world are on Priya, Nades, and the girls. The UN Human Rights Committee has asked the government to release the family into a community setting. The government has been given 30 days to do so, which will be by the end of this month.
The family continue to be in detention, on Christmas Island. I speak with Priya every couple of days and she continues to inspire me with her strength and courage in such a hard situation. She and Nades do an incredible job continuing to entertain the girls and help them continue to learn and grow.
Incredibly. a group of dedicated and amazing supporters in Sydney continue to attend Minister Coleman's Office three times a week. While they have still not been given a chance to speak with Minister Coleman, they continue to remind him of the situation this government has put our friends in. It’s such a powerful reminder of the ongoing support, and the hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Australians who know this family’s name and believes they should be returned to Biloela.
I would like to also express my thanks to the NSW Ecumenical Council and the Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney who held an Interfaith Service on Asylum Seekers and Refugees last Thursday night
Finally, I would also like to thank each and every one of you reading this. You, who continue to do whatever you can to support my friends. Through your phone calls to MPs, spreading the facts instead of the fear, the letter writing, and your donations - it all adds up. You are all keeping this momentous movement going.
Yours in hope,
Angela Fredericks