Asylum-seeking criminals disappear after being released from immigration detention, while four others refuse to wear ankle monitoring devices
Four asylum-seeking criminals released from immigration detention have refused to wear ankle monitoring devices, while one remains missing.
The Australian Federal Police are unable to contact any of the detainees who are not wearing a device and refuse to specify what crimes they have committed.
The government has confirmed that 141 people have been released from indefinite detention since the Supreme Court handed down its landmark NZYQ decision earlier this month, overturning two decades of precedent.
The ruling found that indefinite detention was unlawful as there are now three murderers and several sex offenders among the public.
Anthony Albanese’s government has faced intense criticism for its handling of the situation after detainees were released in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling
Home Secretary Clare O’Neil revealed the ABF did not have the resources to fit the ankle bracelets of recently released prisoners
Following the decision, the Albanian government and opposition rushed to pass emergency legislation imposing strict monitoring requirements, including ankle monitors, for those released from detention.
Of the 138 detainees, 132 are wearing the bracelets, two cases are under investigation due to health concerns and four have outright refused to wear them.
Australian Border Police Commissioner Michael Outram said on Monday the four who refused to wear the surveillance equipment were considered “lower risk” in terms of the extent of the offenses but would still be investigated.
An AFP spokesperson said they had “no comment.”
Public Services Minister Bill Shorten said he had “no doubt” that police would “find the man”.
It comes as it has been revealed that the ABF did not have the electronic monitoring equipment to fit inmates after monitoring requirement laws were introduced.
A resident of a Sydney motel where asylum officers have been released from immigration detention following a High Court ruling
Of the 138 detainees, 132 wear electronic monitoring bracelets. Daily Mail Australia can reveal some have refused to wear them
“When this law was passed in Parliament, ABF did not own an electronic monitoring bracelet and had never worn one,” Home Secretary Clare O’Neil said.
Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the latest revelation confirmed it was a “total debacle of the Albanian government from start to finish”.
“What really needs to happen now is to pass new laws that can at least re-arrest the highest-risk criminal offenders from the cohort, including rapists, murderers, pedophiles and at least one hit man,” he said on Tuesday.
He said higher-risk prisoners could be subject to similar laws that exist for terrorists.
“You can’t put them back in immigration detention indefinitely, but you can pass new laws and push for a court to put them in jail because of the risks they pose to the community,” he explained.
‘We do that with terrorist perpetrators. There is no reason why we can’t do that with these perpetrators, given the risk they pose to our community.”
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will release on Tuesday the reasons for releasing more than 100 fugitives from indefinite detention – specifically why it decided to release a detainee known as NZYQ who was convicted of child rape.
The court is expected to announce its findings shortly after 2 p.m.