MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Undocumented immigrants facing removal from Australia may have their personal data shared by the government, the country's Department of Immigration and Border Protection manual on returns and removals has revealed.
The manual, obtained by the Guardian on Monday, outlines steps that Australia's removal officers can follow to request travel documents from asylum seekers' home countries.
"Unless otherwise advised by the MIU [Ministerial Intervention Units], removal officers may engage with foreign government to obtain travel documents but under no circumstances should they disclose any information indicating any previous PV [protection visa] applications (or any details of protection claims)," the report reads.
In case of judicial review, the manual goes on to say, officers should avoid asking a foreign government for the asylum seekers' travel documentation and providing it with the person's identity,
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has faced growing criticism from human rights advocates over the treatment of people arriving on Australian shores in search of refuge.
Refugees, including young children, who come to Australia seeking asylum, are settled in offshore detention camps in the nearby islands of Manus in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
In recent comments, the prime minister has made it a point of pride for his Coalition government's ability to "stop the boats."
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has maintained that despite growing media attention and acts of protest by immigrant detainees, including self-immolation, the government will continue its practice of denying detainees access to Australia.
