Both girls have suffered from severe vitamin deficiencies and medical and behavioural problems from their lengthy detention. Australian Border Force issued a statement to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald insisting that Australia continues to uphold its international human rights obligations, and considers the best interests of children in its internal procedures and policies. Victoria's Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan said the "deeply distressing" case showed why it was unacceptable to have any child in detention. Australian-born Tharunicaa has been locked up at MITA with her family since March last year when they were forcibly removed from their home in central Queensland, after Priya's bridging visa expired. Family friend Angela Fredericks told The Age and the Herald Tharunicaa had been breastfed when the family was taken into immigration detention, but Priya's milk had soon dried up from the stress of detention.

In their first months of detention, the girls were allowed outside for only half an hour a day, Ms Fredericks said, depriving the girls of crucial vitamin D, which is vital for teeth and bone development. As the toddler's baby teeth grew, they soon turned brown. "It really has been since May this year that she started getting the infections," Ms Fredericks said. "It's been an issue basically since they've been down there [in Melbourne]. Both girls last year were treated for severe vitamin deficiencies, especially Tharunicaa." Priya and Nadesalingam with Tharunicaa.

A photograph taken by the family and sent to friends on Thursday morning shows Tharunicaa lying asleep in her father's arms in hospital after surgery. Two-year-old Tharunicaa, photographed in her father's arms after surgery to remove four of her teeth. During her operation, doctors removed four teeth and covered a further four with sealant, to prevent them from also rotting. Ms Buchanan said the treatment of Tharunicaa was unacceptable. "It is deeply distressing to me that a young child being held in immigration detention could develop significant dental problems that require surgery to fill and remove teeth," she said.

"This case poses serious questions about exposure to sunlight, nutrition, and the adequacy and timeliness of medical attention. Loading "While I am awaiting further information from the Department of Home Affairs, which has agreed to provide me a history of medical and dental services provided to this little girl, the concerns raised with me so far illustrate just why it is the joint position of Australia’s Children’s Commissioners and Guardians that no child should be held in detention as a result of their immigration status." Since the family was put into detention, the community of Biloela has led a massive push to have the family released. A Change.org petition has garnered almost 200,000 signatures and the family's plight has received national media attention and protests outside Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's office in Brisbane. Ms Fredericks, who knows the family from her church playgroup, placed a formal complaint with Victoria's child protection service about the girls' treatment earlier this year.

The Department of Health and Human Services has been contacted for comment. A spokesperson for Australian Border Force confirmed in a statement that a child from the Broadmeadows centre had been scheduled for surgery on Thursday. "Health care services for detainees and accompanying family are comparable to those available to the Australian community under the Australian public health system inclusive of mental health and dental care," the spokesperson said. Tharunicaa, left, is pictured with her three-year-old sister Kopika in May. Credit:AAP "The Department upholds Australia’s international human rights obligations by embedding the consideration of the best interests of children into internal procedures and policies."

Priya and Nades fought their deportation to Sri Lanka in the High Court, arguing their past family links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam puts them in danger if they are returned. But the High Court dismissed their bid for their case to be reviewed. The only avenue for the family to avoid deportation is for Mr Dutton to use his ministerial powers to intervene in the case.