2205715 (Refugee)

[2024] AATA 2009

2205715 (Refugee) [2024] AATA 2009 (29 May 2024)

DECISION RECORD

DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division

CASE NUMBER:  2205715

COUNTRY OF REFERENCE:                   Thailand

MEMBER:Jennifer Ermert

DATE:29 May 2024

PLACE OF DECISION:  Melbourne

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

Statement made on 29 May 2024 at 12:41pm

CATCHWORDS
REFUGEE – protection visa – Thailand – applicant departed Australia – failed to respond within prescribed time period – decision under review affirmed

LEGISLATION
Migration Act 1958 (Cth), ss 36, 65
Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Schedule 2

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 dependants.

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 1 April 2022 to refuse to grant the applicant a protection visa under s 65 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act). The applicant, who claims to be a citizen of Thailand, applied for the visa on 28 July 2021.

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

CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Movement records indicate that the applicant is not in Australia. It appears that she left Australia [in] March 2024. The Tribunal wrote to the applicant 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 by 15 May 2024.  The applicant did not provide any response by the due date.

4. As the applicant failed to respond to this invitation to comment within the prescribed period, the Tribunal may make a decision on the review without inviting the applicant to a hearing.  In this case the information before the Tribunal indicates the applicant departed Australia almost 3 months ago.  She does not hold a visa that would allow her to return to Australia and she cannot be granted the protection visa while she is outside Australia.  In these circumstances the Tribunal considers it is appropriate to make a decision on the review without inviting the applicant to a hearing.

5. The Tribunal is satisfied from the circumstances set out above that the applicant is not in Australia. Therefore, the applicant does not satisfy the requirements of s 36(2) and cannot be granted a protection visa.

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

DECISION

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

Jennifer Ermert
Member