Aboriginal passport refused in Brisbane

An Aboriginal sovereignty campaigner who tried to enter Australia on an Aboriginal passport says the document should be recognised as valid.

Aboriginal passports on display  (AAP Image/Marianna Massey)

(AAP Image/Marianna Massey)

An Aboriginal sovereignty campaigner says he is frustrated he was "hassled" by customs officers when he tried to enter Australia on an Aboriginal passport.

Callum Clayton-Dixon, who is the chairperson of the Aboriginal Provisional Government, said he was questioned for around 30 minutes on Friday evening when he arrived at the Brisbane International Airport from a trip to New Zealand.

He told ABC Radio he presented his Aboriginal passport but was told this was not a valid travel document.

An immigration official eventually confirmed through other means that he was an Australian citizen and allowed him through.

Mr Clayton-Dixon said the passport should be recognised by the Australian government.

The Aboriginal Provisional Government, which was established to fight for indigenous sovereignty, has issued several hundred of the passports since 1990.

Mr Clayton-Dixon said members have previously used it to enter countries like Norway, Sweden and Libya.

He said it was Aboriginal people's right to use it.

"We as Aboriginal people collectively have the fundamental human right as recognised by the United Nations to determine our own political independence and our own political status and the Aboriginal passport is a statement and an assertion of this right," he said.

In a statement, Customs said the Aboriginal passport was not a valid document but that if officials could verify that the bearer was legally allowed in Australia they would be granted entry.

Mr Clayton-Dixon said he would continue to use the passport on future trips.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world