Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Aaron Smith

Three years after beating deportation, Indigenous Australians freed from visa limbo

Daniel Gibuma is a 58-year-old Torres Strait Islander who was born in Papua New Guinea and spent over two years in Yongah Hill Immigration detention centre in Western Australia. Images by Brian Cassey
‘We must keep moving forward’: Torres Strait Islander Daniel Gibuma spent over two years in the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre. Photograph: Brian Cassey(copyright)/Brian Cassey

A group of Indigenous Australians who spent almost three years in limbo without basic human rights since the high court ruled they could not be deported as aliens have been granted special purpose visas allowing them to work, access Medicare and travel internationally.

But the group, some of whom spent years in onshore and offshore immigration detention prior to the court ruling in February 2020, still don’t know how their citizenship claims will ultimately be resolved.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.