255 Games runaways overstayed their visas

Officials have confirmed 255 people who came to Australia to attend the Commonwealth Games have overstayed their visas.

Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Mike Pezzullo, left, speaks during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House. Picture: AAP

Home Affairs officials have confirmed 255 athletes, support staff or media who came to Australia for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games have overstayed their visas, leaving taxpayers with a multi-million-dollar bill.

Department officials yesterday told a Senate estimates hearing that 205 Games-related visitors had applied for protection visas to remain in Australia lawfully on bridging visas, and another 50 were missing.

The department said it had not been in contact with these 50 ­people and they were unlawfully staying in Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said last night taxpayers had been “taken for a ride by ­freeloaders”.

“Australia is now obliged under international law to consider these protection visa applications,” Mr Dutton said.

Many of the foreigners seeking to stay are from war-torn African nations, including Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria.

The number of overstayers is almost five times more than after Melbourne’s Commonwealth Games in 2006.

The Australian understands each temporary protection case would cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

But the type of bridging visa the 205 athletes, staffers and media workers are on does not offer access to welfare payments. Instead government sources said the athletes could apply for the Status Resolution Support Services ­Payment, but this was not a fast process so it was unlikely any of them would have qualified so far.

Earlier this year the government decided to wind back this benefit by changing the eligibility requirements. SRSS payments are worth about $478 a fortnight.

Some non-for-profit groups, such as David Manne’s Refugee Legal in Melbourne, are offering the athletes free legal services.

Department officials told the Senate estimates hearing that 13,600 special 408-category visas were issued, while 8103 people ­arrived to attend the Games as part of ­official national parties. Only 7848 people had departed Australia so far, officials said.

Also in the Senate estimates hearing, Department of Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo defended the government’s proposed laws to introduce ID checks in the public areas of ­airports.

“At the moment the threshold is not in keeping with best practice in terms of how to safeguard ­aviation security generally, how to safeguard our airports, and how to keep the travelling public safe,” Mr Pezzullo said under questioning from Greens senator Nick McKim.

“It’s the case that airports are regrettably a high-profile target for international terrorists.”

Senator McKim asked Home Affairs to produce international examples to demonstrate Australia was not in line with international best practice. The department said it would do so. Mr Pezzullo said he did not agree with Senator McKim’s characterisation of these as ­“papers please” checks, and instead suggested officers would say “Please sir, can I see your ID?”.

He said the Greens senator was channelling a message to his ­supporters through his line of questioning.

Senator Derryn Hinch asked whether the move would lead to racial ­profiling. But he said he supported the move.