Jamil and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (Citizenship)

This matter concerned an application for Australian citizenship by conferral made by Mr Jamil. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs refused the application, and Mr Jamil sought review of that decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal affirmed the Minister's decision.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether Mr Jamil satisfied the "good character" requirement for citizenship by conferral, as stipulated by section 22(1)(h) of the *Australian Citizenship Act 2007* (Cth). This assessment involved considering Mr Jamil's past criminal charges, specifically for unlawful stalking and using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, which were ultimately withdrawn, and his social media activity.

The Tribunal found that while Mr Jamil presented well and was generally frank about his criminal history, his testimony regarding his social media posts was evasive and unconvincing. The Tribunal noted that Mr Jamil had posted messages supportive of extremist views and violence on social media. Despite the withdrawal of criminal charges, the Tribunal concluded that an appropriate period of time had not yet elapsed since these posts were made to satisfy the good character requirement. The Tribunal considered that a further period of four years would be needed to reassess his good character, and that after ten years from the date of the posts, if he demonstrated he had lived as an ordinary law-abiding Australian, he might then be granted citizenship.

The Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, meaning Mr Jamil's application for citizenship by conferral was refused.