Eddie David is being held at Yongah Hill immigration detention centre in Western Australia and the Immigration Department says he is a Fijian national.
His lawyer George Newhouse said his client had been detained since Friday after attending Centrelink, where he was confused for an Indian national.
The 39-year-old man claimed he was born on Murray Island, birth place of native title campaigner Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo, in the Torres Strait.
“None of the family here, and no-one in the community can verify his claims,” said Ned David, the chair of the Magani Lagaugal Native Title Corporation and family spokesman for the David family in the Torres Strait.
Ned David said he has also spoken to family members on the mainland, who also had no knowledge of the man, but could not say if Eddie David could be a member of the Stolen Generation.
“I can’t really comment on that but, as I said, no one in the family here can verify his claim,” he said.
Ned David said a man had previously claimed to be a Torres Strait Islander and a member of the David family.
“I think that was two years ago and basically, if this is the same person, I think our statement was the same,” said Ned David.
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