More stories of injustice

Excellent article on “Extra judicial” process applied to non-citizens (Santilla Chingaipe, “Dutton uses visas as second criminal sentence”, March 31–April 6) covers one aspect of this injustice but there are people on bridging visas who are redetained having committed no crime. An African man was employed on a casual basis as a mechanic fixing high-end cars. He had experience as a mechanic maintaining fleets of cars for wealthy sheikhs in the Middle East before statelessness put his life at risk and he fled seeking asylum. His employer asked him to pick up a client’s car to take it to the workshop. The sight of a black man driving a luxurious car drew the attention of the police. Although he had committed no offence beyond unknowingly driving a car with an out-of-date registration, no explanations stopped the inevitable process that led to this man being put back in detention for 18 months. Another young man was in a nightclub. A girl told the bouncer he had touched her. The man, who was on a bridging visa, denied the accusation. Police were called and the man was placed in detention for 13 months awaiting a magistrates’ court hearing. The week before the hearing, all charges were dropped as film footage showed the young man had at no time been close to the woman, there was no evidence supporting the allegation, and the woman changed her story. The young man was detained for a further five months before the minister allowed his release. This is the reality of non-reviewable detention by a minister without restraint.

– Pamela Curr, Brunswick, Vic