Thursday, May 27, 2004

Refugee avoided Taliban recruitment

The High Court today allowed an appeal by a young Afghan man who has been refused a protection visa by Australian authorities. The 24-year old man fled Afghanistan after twice avoiding recruitment by the Taliban, leaving his family behind.

The court heard the Taliban troops randomly forced young men to join. The Immigration Department and the Refugee Review Tribunal rejected the man's application for a protection visa.

The matter came before the High Court after the then Minister for Immigration, [war criminal], Philip Ruddock successfully appealed to the full bench of the Federal Court arguing the man was not persecuted as a member of a "particular social group".

But the High Court has held that "able-bodied, young Afghan men" could have a well-founded fear of persecution. The matter will now go back to the Refugee Review Tribunal.

By Just Us 27 May 04

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