Rise in Greeks being deported from Australia
Australia?s Department of Immigration and Citizenship on Wednesday confirmed reports in the Greek-Australian community newspaper, Neos Kosmos, that a significant number of Greek visitors had been detained pending deportation after authorities were unconvinced by their claims to be tourists.
According to the reports, authorities at Melbourne?s international airport alone detained 29 Greek passport-holders between July 2011 and June this year, compared to just three in the previous 12-month period.
The detained Greeks were reportedly subjected to a thorough inspection by Australian immigration officials who sought to determine whether they had a return flight and adequate money for their stay.
Those who failed to convince officials they were visiting as tourists were either put on the first flight back to Greece or detained pending deportation.
