The truth is out here...somewhere. The mighty Hinze.
The following was reported in The Age and Catholic News:
"When Australia deports people, it has not got a clue of what happens to them," said Phil Glendenning of the Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice, following last week´s revelation of the deportation of an Australian citizen whom the Department of Immigration believed was an illegal immigrant.
At least 33 Australians have been wrongfully detained in the past two years, the Government revealed last night, as it continued its hunt for a deported Australian woman missing overseas.
Dubious practices of the Department were brought to light late last year with the case of Australian citizen Cornelia Rau, who was wrongfully detained for several months.
Acting Immigration Minister Peter McGauran said the incidents occurred between July 2003 and February last year.
The figure included the case of the missing woman who was deported to the country of her birth four years ago.
Mr Glendenning said it was usual for an official to accompany the deportee to their destination and then leave them. They could not say goodbye to friends and relatives and were often sent to countries where they had no connections.
In its Deported to Danger report released last year as part of ongoing research it is conducting in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University, the Christian Brothers´ Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice claimed that Australia has deported at least 35 rejected asylum seekers into dangerous situations, and needs to urgently reform its refugee protection system.
In their push to get rid of detainees, the report said authorities "often took a reckless" view of the dangers they faced once deported.
Meanwhile Acting Immigration Minister McGauran said that the cases have prompted the Government to expand the terms of reference of its inquiry - headed by former Australian Federal Police chief Mick Palmer - into the case of Cornelia Rau.”
What about a full public enquiry with the necessary powers to get the evidence.
2 comments:
DIMIA is still rejecting applications for extensions on Afghan refugee visas. Apparently Afghanistan is a safe destination to be deported to. Christ knows what DFAT is blabbering on about, in that case, on their travller info website.
That is a sad reflection on how poorly the principles associated with sanctuary (such as duty of care) are being applied - it appears a politically acceptable version of the definition of what is 'safe'. What might not be safe for an Australian is apparently safe for an Afghani who fled persecution.
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