“Rules are rules,” said Scott Morrison, but despite the government’s agreement to release Djokovic from Immigration detention, the government is now threatening to ignore the rules and use Ministerial powers to again cancel his visa under s133 of the Migration Act.
The government’s threat to cancel Djokovic’s visa reveals the capacity for political interference in Immigration decisions. Scott Morrison has revealed his willingness to bend the rules, and act to thwart legal decisions to get the political decision he wants.
This is the same political manipulation and vindictiveness that is holding around 60 Medevac refugees in the Park hotel-prison and other detention centres in Australia.
The government is able to hold the Medevac refugees because the government does not issue them a visa when they are transferred to Australia from PNG or Nauru. They are able to be detained in Australia because despite the fact they have refugee status, they are rendered technically “unlawful”.
“The farce that has surrounded Djokovic’s visa cancellation has given an insight into the abuse of power involved in the administration of the Migration Act. The untrammeled powers of the Migration Minister allows Border Force to be judge, jury and executioner. It is those powers that have enshrined indefinite detention as a sentence for people who have committed no crime,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The Medevac refugees are pawns in the government’s political game. They are being held on the whim of the same Minister responsible for unlawfully canceling Djokovic’s visa.
“The rules said they would get medical treatment, but the government refused them treatment. They said they would be released, but the government refuses to release them.”
“It was not just the cancellation of Djokovic visa that was on trial today,” said Rintoul, “Morrison and the Migration Act were also found wanting. There must be a full investigation of the political interference that led to the cancellation of Djokovic’s visa.
“Djokovic’s visa cancellation is just the tip of the iceberg of the abuses of the Migration Act that are keeping people in immigration detention.
“There was a small amount of justice for Djokovic today but real justice demands that all the prisoners of the Park hotel and other detention centres should be released.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
