Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Each year thousands of young Australians travel overseas, especially in their gap year, to the UK and Europe. It has become an Australian right of passage. Last month, 22-year-old Caringbah resident Natasha Wheeler got on a plane to the UK, having worked to save $2,500 over the past year for a dream holiday of a lifetime travelling around Europe and Ireland with her best friend.

The dream for Natasha quickly turned into a nightmare, when she was refused entry into the UK after arriving at Heathrow Airport. She arrived in London with money in her bank account, a return flight back to Australia and a pre-booked sightseeing tour. She was detained for more than 16 hours in a holding-cell at the airport terminal along with six men in the same room, one of whom was ill. There were chairs in the room and she was given one blanket and one pillow. She was denied access to her personal items. She was interviewed regarding her travel plans. There was no witness and no recording device for the interview. After three hours she was allowed to call home, at her own expense. You can imagine the concern of her parents, Glenn and Michelle, who had asked her to call immediately on her arrival, to let them know she was safe.

Natasha was afraid, on her own and half a world away. She was hysterical on the phone, crying uncontrollably, telling her father, ‘I don’t want to stay here dad. Please get me out of here. There are two really bad looking men who are really angry in here with me and I don’t feel safe.’ After 16 hours she was escorted by security guards onto her flight back to Australia. Natasha described it as the most humiliating experience of her young life.

On her return, the British High Commission advised that a full explanation of the UK Immigration Office’s decision to refuse Natasha entry was written in a letter, specifically detailing Natasha’s case, and was given to Natasha at the time. Natasha did not receive this letter, nor has she seen it. When the British High Commission was asked for a copy of the letter this was refused, stating it was unavailable. Upon arrival back in Sydney she noticed she had a black cross put through the Heathrow stamp in her passport, which may now also impede any future travel plans.

Just two weeks later it happened again—to another young person from my electorate. Justin Ali, an 18-year-old from Cronulla, was sent back to Australia from the UK on 9 November. Justin was detained for 54 hours—more than two days—in a holding cell with two other men. It was his intention to stay in London for only 19 days and he had booked a return flight to Australia. He even had a flight to Hamilton Island booked for the next month and had a job back in Australia. Like Natasha, he was not planning to look for work in the UK. Justin’s mother contacted my office for help. We made contact with both Australian and UK officials and sought to facilitate contact between Justin and his mother. It was extremely frustrating for me, as a local MP, to be told that neither your own government nor the British High Commission was able, or prepared, to intervene.

I believe both of these cases warrant further investigation by the Australian government through our high commission regarding the actions of the UK government. We must also review our own processes of how we seek to inform and support Australians and their families in this situation. While the travel advisory on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website notes that people suspected of intending to work could be refused entry, reasonable steps should be taken to avoid the risk of innocent Australians being incorrectly detained or refused entry—or being treated in this matter.

People need to know what their rights are if detained and questioned by immigration officials. They should clearly state that the purpose of the trip is a journey. They should have and be able to demonstrate adequate funds to support their stay. They should not take any resumes or similar information unless they have a prior approved working visa. They should seek to have pre-booked accommodation when they arrive. They should also be aware that a return air fare six months out will trigger alarm bells with immigration officials in the UK. We should also look at what support is available to these young Australians and their families from the Australian government in these situations.

Only a few days before he left Australia, Justin and his mother saw the story about Natasha in our local newspaper, the Leader. Justin did not pay too much attention to the article; he thought it was not going to happen to him—after all, he was registered on smartraveller.gov.au.

I hope by my raising these issues here this evening that young Australians planning to travel to the UK for a holiday, particularly from our shire, and their parents will take the necessary precautions, discuss the issue at home and have a plan to deal with this situation should it arise. They should also discuss the very real risks of travelling abroad and be aware of the dangers that are present. Make sure you also register your journey at www.smartraveller.gov.au, and under no circumstances should you go there seeking to gain work without a proper visa—not that Justin or Natasha were doing that.

While I respect the sovereignty of every nation on immigration matters, I believe that in the cases I have talked about tonight the UK government owes these young Australians an apology. Surely the strength of our relationship should have yielded a better outcome than what has occurred here. It is not right that young Australians be mistreated because of the economic crisis in the UK. We can and should do better for innocent young Australians who have made their sacrifices, saved their money and gone through all the hoops to have one of the best experiences of their lives.