A group of 10 refugees assessed by ASIO as threats to national security have been freed to live in the Australian community after the agency quietly reversed its decision. Some of the group had been held in immigration detention more than five years without having been charged with a crime under a system civil liberty advocates have slammed as completely unsatisfactory. Most of the men have been released since August from a detention centre in Melbournes north, where the majority of the remaining 34 refugees given a negative assessment by ASIO are still being held. Two others have also had their assessments overturned since August, but it is understood they have not been granted a visa for release yet. New figures provided to Fairfax Media show an independent review by a former Federal Court judge has recommended the original ASIO assessment was not appropriate in seven cases. In five other cases the review has obtained new information, leading ASIO to change its assessment. But ASIO has also made its own decisions to reverse its previous findings, gradually reducing the overall number of refugees with adverse assessments from a total of 54 in mid-2013. The group had numbered 44 in August 2014, the Immigration Department said. ASIO has defended the assessments, saying they are based on knowledge and information available at the time and in the context of the security environment, and can be reopened with new information. NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Stephen Blanks said it was good ASIO had cases under review but the lack of transparency was completely unsatisfactory. (from the article) - [Cat]
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:17:50 +0000
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