The Wire

The Immigration Department is being criticised after the release of a report saying it tricked a detainee into handing over his daughter to be deported. The Commonwealth Ombudsman found the Iranian man was told, by immigration officials, his seven year old daughter was being taken on a shopping trip, when in reality she was being deported to Iran. This took place in 2003 while the family were being detained at the Baxter detention centre in South Australia. The Ombudsman found the Department acted against its own legal advice, deceived the man and may have breached the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.