Australia Border Police Cancel Random Visa Checks Following Protests

Australian border forces and police will not perform random visa checks planned for this weekend, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said Friday, following a public backlash.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – "The Australian Border Force (ABF) will not be ‘stopping people at random’ in Melbourne to ‘check people’s papers’ as reported in media this morning regarding Operation Fortitude," said in a clarifying statement, made less than than 24 hours after the operation was announced.

Protesters flooded a Melbourne railway station earlier to protest the announcement of the controversial operation.

The Department said the weekend launch of inter-agency Operation Fortitude would target "everything from anti-social behavior to outstanding warrants." The operation was intended to combine ABF with transport and other enforcement agencies.

Victoria Police said in a statement published on its social media it has "made a decision not go ahead with this weekend’s Operation Fortitude."

An earlier Immigration Department statement read that its officers would be "speaking with any individual we cross path with."

In the clarifying statement, it said the ABF will continue to "assist other agencies in this operation by conducting background visa checks on individuals who are referred to us by Victoria Police and other agencies."

The ABF is a new outfit composed of immigration and customs offices.