THE SQUIZ
It was all happening yesterday with 2 notable decisions in the High Court and the Murugappan family making their way from Western Australia to Queensland ahead of their return to Biloela – 4 years after the Federal Government detained them when deportation efforts stalled.

TELL ME ABOUT THE CASES…
First up, the High Court has ruled that suspected terrorists can’t be stripped of their citizenship by the Home Affairs Minister. That happened to Delil Alexander in July last year after he went to Syria and joined Islamic State. He was jailed there in 2019 but later pardoned. A dual Aussie/Turkish citizen, Alexander couldn’t be released because neither country would have him. Yesterday, the High Court said only an Aussie court could remove citizenship – and the Albanese Government’s going to have a look into it… The High Court also found that keeping an Indigenous man in immigration detention was legal. Kiwi-born Brendan Thoms – who doesn’t have Aussie citizenship – was to be deported after a stint in jail. That was until a 2020 High Court ruling that Indigenous Australians could never be “alien”, no matter where they are born. However, at the time of his detention, the court yesterday said authorities had reasonable grounds to hold him. That ends Thoms’ bid for compensation.

AND THE MURUGAPPANS?
To recap: parents Nades and Priya came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 following Sri Lanka’s civil war. They had their children Kopika and Tharunicaa in Australia. The family lived for 4 years in Biloela in Central Queensland – a community that has vocally supported the family’s efforts to remain here. However, the family’s temporary bridging visa ran out in March 2018, and their claim for refugee status was rejected. That saw the family detained in Melbourne, Christmas Island and Perth as legal challenges were mounted. The change of government last month saw the family granted new bridging visas – and that means the family can get back to the town that loves them. They touched down in Brissie late yesterday, and tomorrow it’s on to Biloela. Their advocates have welcomed the developments but want to see them granted permanent residency.