Federal Government repatriates former military interpreter to Iraq, despite fears...

[Delta4Embassy]

Australia sends ex-military interpreter back to Iraq

Figured he musta done something serious to get deported. Not so much.

"But in October 2013, Khaled had a run-in with police.

After smoking a joint, he fell asleep in his car in the car park of McDonald's in Merrylands, in western Sydney.

Police were called and after a brief exchange Khaled was arrested, charged with offensive language, resisting police and driving without a licence.

Refugee advocates said three days later, Khaled was taken to Villawood detention centre, where he was held for eight months while he waited for his court appearance.

Two of the charges were eventually dismissed and he pleaded guilty to the third charge of driving without a licence but no conviction was recorded.

But Khaled remained locked up in detention.

Under a regulation introduced by the Rudd government in 2013, a bridging visa can be cancelled if an individual is charged with an offence."


So here's this guy who worked for US forces as an interpreter serving (as they said earlier in the piece) "with honor and distinction" who, for smoking a joint and falling asleep is now being sent back to Iraq where in all likelyhood he'll be killed.

Used to think Australia was a good country. Apparently not.

 

[tyroneweaver]

booze, birds, and footy

 

[ThirdTerm]

Police were called and after a brief exchange Khaled was arrested, charged with offensive language, resisting police and driving without a licence. Two of the charges were eventually dismissed and he pleaded guilty to the third charge of driving without a licence but no conviction was recorded.

Australia was founded as a convict colony but the country is now very tough on potential immigrants with a criminal past. Any tourists with a prior criminal conviction cannot even enter the country and every visitor is require to declare that he or she is not a convict in an immigration form. Even European migrants who are on their way to gaining Aussie citizenship could be deported to Ireland or Britain, if he is charged with any petty crimes such as shoplifting and fare evasion.


IN THE old days, they sent convicts from Britain to Australia for petty offences such as stealing a cow or break and enter. Now, we're set to send a hard-working engineer back to Britain over a $2.65 train fare. Mark Littler, 30, faces deportation after being convicted for fare evasion when he claimed his faulty go card did not work on a trip from Morningside station to Fortitude Valley. Mr Littler, who does not hold an Australian passport, could be returned to Britain if the Immigration Department reacts to the conviction.

British man Mark Littler faces deportation over fare evasion conviction