Fed: British, Canadians among 24 Games officials, athletes unaccounted for

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
Fed: British, Canadians among 24 Games officials, athletes unaccounted for

MELBOURNE, April 27 AAP - Athletes and officials from Britain and Canada are among
24 people being sought by the Australian government for overstaying their Commonwealth
Games visas.

Of the almost 7,000 people issued the Commonwealth Games Travel Authority (CGTA) visas,
99.5 per cent have been accounted for, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said today.

Senator Vanstone said it was critical that the 24 athletes and officials who remained
unlawfully in Australia contact the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
(DIMA) immediately.

"If they choose not to do this, they will be subject to compliance action," she said.

A DIMA spokesman said the illegal overstayers were from Cameroon, Canada, Britain,
Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tonga and Trinidad and Tobago.

They was a mixture of athletes and Games officials, he said.

The CGTA visas expired last night, with 6,651 of the 7,000 people who travelled to
Australia now having left the country.

Of those remaining, 289 people hold other visas, such as working holiday, sports, business,
visitor, spouse, diplomatic or student visas.

A further 31 have applied for protection.

"Overall, the Commonwealth Games visa arrangements have been very successful, giving
people the opportunity to spend some time in Australia after the Games while still ensuring
people abided by their visa conditions," Senator Vanstone said.

At least 25 athletes were reported missing from the athletes village during the Games,
including 14 athletes from war-torn Sierra Leone - two-thirds of its 21-member team.

The Sierra Leone athletes were found in different locations in Australia in the week
following the Games.

They have been granted bridging visas while their new visa applications are being processed.

The Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne from March 15 to 26.

AAP ce/dk/rj/de

KEYWORD: COM06 VISAS NIGHTLEAD

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