Indians among 250 athletes seeking asylum in Australia after  CWG 2018
Indians among 250 athletes seeking asylum in Australia after CWG 2018
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Canberra: More than 200 Commonwealth Games athletes and officials who took part in the multisport carnival in Gold Coast, last month remained in Australia after applying for refugee visas, while  another 50 living in the country illegitimately.

The figures were exposed by Immigration Department officials to a Senate committee hearing on Monday night, as Xinhua news agency reported.

A sum of 8,103 athletes, media representatives and officials landed in Australian soil on temporary visas for the CWG 2018 Gold Coast event which wrapped up on April 15 and with only 7,848 returned home after their stay expired last week which means 255 remained in the country.

Of those who have stayed in Australia, 205 were lawfully in the community on viaduct visas as they await approval to stay on a permanent basis. Border Force officials have started a nationwide search for the other 50 who have extended their visas.

The majority of foreigners seeking safe haven in Australia were from war-torn African nations such as Sierra Leone, Ghana and Nigeria. However some members of the Indian and Pakistani teams have also stayed in Australia.

 

 

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