A Hazara man who was allegedly sexually abused as a child is taking on the Albanese government, launching a legal challenge to stop his deportation to Nauru under a controversial $2.5bn deal. Legal representatives for Abdul, 29, filed a bid in federal court this week to prevent his removal, arguing the deal is incompatible with Australia’s constitution. Abdul was re-detained early this month by border force officers from his Sydney apartment and is now in immigration detention pending the outcome. His lawyer, Alison Battisson, described the case as ‘extraordinary and deeply troubling’, noting that Abdul was allegedly groomed and sexually abused by his carer after arriving in Australia at age 16. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal had set aside his visa cancellation in 2023, partly because ‘the system appears to have failed him’. But under the new deal, he faces deportation to Nauru where hundreds of non-citizens are being sent. Greens Senator David Shoebridge called it a ‘story of failure and cruelty’. At least nine non-citizens have already been sent to Nauru on 30-year visas.
Article and image source: theguardian.com
