Albanese government has no knowledge of Trump administration threat to deport Iranian man to Australia
The US government is threatening to deport Reza Zavvar, a 52-year-old permanent resident who lives in Maryland, to either Australia or Romania – despite having no links to either country.
Zavvar is being held in detention near his home, despite previously holding a US immigration green card, due to a historical conviction for marijuana possession which dates back to the 1990s.
He arrived in the US at 12 years of age on a student visa, meaning he has lived in the US for four decades.
Zavvar cannot be sent back to Iran due to risk of persecution, and his lawyer Ava Benach says he has been told he could be sent to a third country under so-called 'withholding of removal' status since 2007.
Most people with the status are never deported.
Documents provided by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement suggest Zavvar could be sent to Australia or Romania.
His lawyer, Ava Benach, said Zavvar has never lived in either country.
'There is no rhyme of reason to it, that was just what was put on the form,' Benach said.
'He has not ties to Australia. He's never been to Australia. No family, no education there. How they came up with that is anyone's guess.'
Guardian Australia approached the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, and the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, about the case. The government said it has not been approached by the United States in relation to it.
A government spokesperson said there was no new agreement for transfer of US immigration detainees to Australia.
'We consider any application for a visa on its merits, we have not been contacted by the US government about this matter,' the spokesperson said.
'There have been no new agreements made with the Trump Administration on immigration.'
Benach told ABC radio many Iranians living in the US had faced arrest and detention.
'He's perplexed. He never would have contemplated that this could have happened.'
The Trump administration has taken a hard line on deporting non-citizens from the US, often to countries in South America. The deportation policy has seen people arrested without warning by federal officials around the US, and has sparked a series of legal challenges.
While there is currently no arrangement for receiving deportees from US, a 2016 deal was reached by Barack Obama and then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull for the transfer of up to 1,250 people held in Australia's offshore immigration detention system.
Men, women and children from Sudan, Iran, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were among the first people resettled in the US, after being held in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
The agreement attracted Trump's rage after he became president in early 2017, prompting him to hit out at the 'the worst deal ever' in a fiery conversation with Turnbull.
Leaks of a transcript of the conversation shook the American alliance. Trump reluctantly agreed to honour the deal, the terms of which have never been made public.
More than 1,100 people were transferred to the US, according to statistics compiled by the Refugee Council of Australia.
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The Sun
4 minutes ago
- The Sun
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Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
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BBC News
4 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wetin we know as police detain activist Omoyele Sowore
Police for Nigeria don detain former presidential candidate and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore. Di activist bin go honour one police invitation on Wednesday but no comot from di police station at di end of di day. Im lawyer Marshal Abubakar tell BBC News Pidgin say dem sama am allegation of criminal defamation and forgery of police document. According to am, police show dem two petitions against Sowore, say one of di petitions, na police write am. E say dem dey give di authorities 24 hours to release Sowore or dem go enta court to go resolve di mata. Police authorities never respond to BBC News Pidgin requests. Police tok tok pesin Muyiwa Adejobi no pick im calls nor respond to messages wey we send to im phone. Videos wey trend on social media on Tuesday show wia Sowore wit im lawyer and supporters dey waka go police station for Abuja. E carry bag and claim say wetin dey inside na im personal effects like soap, toothbrush and clothes incase dem decide to detain am. Meanwhile Amnesty International don call for di immediate release of di activist. For inside statement, dem condemn di arrest and detention of Sowore and demand make di authorities release am and drop all "bogus and politically motivated allegations" against am. Sowore political party African Action Congress AAC describe di arrest and detention as attack on democracy and abuse of power by di authorities. Dem dey call for mass protest across Nigeria until dem release Sowore. Oda groups wey don chook mouth for di matter include Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP and Arewa youths. For separate statements on Thursday, dem describe di detention as infringement of di activist fundamental human rights wey di Nigeria constitution dey protect. According to dem, Nigeria Police don turn to weapon wey oppressors dey use oppress dia enemies. Di Arewa Youths say dem dey give di authorities 72 hours to release di activist or dem go begin protests across di 19 northern states of Nigeria. Some of Sowore supporters bin stage brief protest in front of di police station wia dem detain am yesterday. One of im lawyers notify BBC say by 6:00am Thursday morning, dem sight Sowore as a team of police officers whisk am away from di cell wia im bin dey, carry am go SARS office. Who be Sowore Omoyele Sowore na journalist, human rights activist wey bin don follow contest for Nigeria presidential election. E don collect plenti arrest and detention over di years. Im be di RevolutionNow leader for Nigeria and Publisher of Sahara Reporters news platform. Nigeria govment bin arrest Sowore for August 2, 2019 say im commit treason. Dem later release am for 5 December afta e spend more dan 3 months for detention, only to re-arrest am inside court less dan 12 hours later. On 13 December, 2019, Attorney General of Nigeria and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami bin take ova di case of Sowore from di country Department of State Service. Den on December 24, DSS release di publisher afta oga Malami write to di DSS say make dem release am.
