Some 250 athletes and officials from Africa, who took part in April 2018's
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, have overstayed their visas in
Australia, immigration officials told a Senate committee on Monday May 21,2018
Department of Home Affairs Deputy Secretary Malisa Golightly told the committee that most of the athletes "are now lawfully in the country because they've applied for a visa of some type." However, 50 of the competitors have not yet contacted authorities despite the fact that their visa have expired.
The officials did not identify the nationalities of those seeking asylum but refugee advocates have previously said they were helping athletes from Cameroon, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
There are 19 Commonwealth member states in Africa.
Department of Home Affairs Deputy Secretary Malisa Golightly told the committee that most of the athletes "are now lawfully in the country because they've applied for a visa of some type." However, 50 of the competitors have not yet contacted authorities despite the fact that their visa have expired.
The officials did not identify the nationalities of those seeking asylum but refugee advocates have previously said they were helping athletes from Cameroon, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
There are 19 Commonwealth member states in Africa.
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