Another 20 detainees released from Australian immigration detention, advocates say

Another 20 refugees have been released from Australian immigration detention facilities, advocates say.

Novak Djokovic Australian visa

A file image of the Park Hotel in Melbourne. Source: AAP / Meg Hill/PA

More than a dozen refugees have reportedly been released from Australian immigration detention facilities, including from Melbourne's Park Hotel.

The refugees were reportedly released on Friday night from centres in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland.

Advocates say 10 people staying at Melbourne's Park Hotel were among those released.

The Department of Home Affairs has declined to confirm the reports, with a spokesperson saying it would not comment on individual cases.

It comes three weeks after 13 refugees were released from detention centres in Melbourne and Brisbane.

At the time, advocates said nine men were released from the Park Hotel, along with one other in Broadmeadows and three men in Brisbane.

Park Hotel detainee, Iranian refugee Mehdi Ali, was also resettled in the United States last month, after nine years in detention.

The Park Hotel gained national attention in January when tennis champion Novak Djokovic was briefly detained there.

Djokovic was ultimately deported on the eve of the Australian Open after the Federal Court upheld the immigration minister's decision to cancel his visa.


Share

1 min read

Published

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.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world