AFP points finger over jailing

AUSTRALIAN Federal Police have blamed a lack of access to visa records for their role in the months-long detention of refugee footballer Hakeem alAraibi in Thailand.

Mr al-Araibi, a permanent resident of Australia, was arrested in Bangkok after Bahrain pursued him over allegations he vandalised a police station, which he denies.

He returned to Australia last week after more than two months behind bars, following a decision by Thai authorities not to pursue extradition proceedings against him.

Questions have been raised about what role Australian authorities may have played in his detention.

The 25-year-old (pictured) was on his honeymoon in November when Bahrain requested an Interpol red notice against him; he was detained upon landing in Bangkok. Interpol did not know Mr al-Araibi was a refugee, and would not have issued the notice if they had been aware.

“It was issued in good faith by Interpol; they were not aware at the time of issuing it that he was subject to a protection visa,” AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin told a Senate estimates hearing yesterday.

Bahrain requested the red notice on November 8 and the AFP told Australian Border Force officials the next day.

“The Home Affairs department provided Mr al-Araibi’s visa status to the AFP on the 28th of November, the day after his detention in Thailand,” Mr Colvin said. The AFP then referred his visa status to Interpol’s legal affairs department, and Mr al-Araibi’s red notice was rescinded on December 1.

He returned to Melbourne on February 12.

There is no legal obligation for Home Affairs to notify federal police about somebody’s refugee status.