1814821 (Refugee)

[2019] AATA 5783

1814821 (Refugee) [2019] AATA 5783 (21 June 2019)

DECISION RECORD

DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division

CASE NUMBER:  1814821

COUNTRY OF REFERENCE:                   Malaysia

MEMBER:Paul Windsor

DATE:21 June 2019

PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne

DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a protection visa.

Statement made on 21 June 2019 at 11:58am

CATCHWORDS
REFUGEE – protection visa – Malaysia – applicant departed Australia – decision under review affirmed

LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 36, 65

Any references appearing in square brackets indicate that information has been omitted from this decision pursuant to section 431 of the Migration Act 1958 and replaced with generic information which does not allow the identification of an applicant, or their relative or other dependant.

STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS

APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

1. This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 21 May 2018 to refuse to grant the applicant a protection visa under s.65 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act). The applicant, who claims to be a citizen of Malaysia, applied for the visa on 28 September 2017.

2. For the following reasons, the Tribunal has decided to affirm the decision under review.

   CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE

3. Under s.65(1) a visa may be granted only if the decision maker is satisfied that the prescribed criteria for the visa have been satisfied.

4. So far as is relevant to this matter, s.36(2) of the Act provides that a criterion for a protection visa is that the applicant for the visa is a non-citizen in Australia. This means that a protection visa may only be granted if the applicant is in Australia.

5. Movement records indicate that the applicant is not in Australia. It appears that she left Australia [in] February 2019. The Tribunal wrote to the applicant on 28 May 2019 advising that its records showed that she is not in Australia and therefore could not be granted a protection visa and inviting the applicant to comment on the information. The applicant responded on 8 June 2019 confirming that she is not in Australia and indicating that an application for a Bridging visa B to enable her to leave Australia and return had been refused.  She inquired about whether it is possible for her to re-enter Australia.

6. The Tribunal is satisfied from the circumstances set out above that the applicant is not in Australia. The Tribunal notes that she does not hold a visa, such as a Bridging visa B, which allows her to re-enter Australia.  Therefore, the applicant does not satisfy the requirements of s.36(2) and cannot be granted a protection visa.

7. Having reached this conclusion, it is not necessary to consider the applicant's substantive case for the grant of the visa.

   DECISION

8. The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a protection visa.

   Paul Windsor
   Member