Palestinian woman Maha Almassri, 61, was released from immigration detention in Villawood after spending a week in custody following the cancellation of her visa by a federal assistant minister which was done personally by Julian Hill. This happened during a dawn raid by the Australian Border Force at her son’s home in Sydney. Maha fled Gaza in February 2024 and had entered Australia on a visitor visa and then was granted a bridging visa in June after applying for a protection visa.
Maha has more than 100 relatives in Australia. Her cousin, Mohammed Almassri, stated that the family had no further information from the government about the reasons for her detention or why she failed a character test. The Migration Act states that a person doesn’t pass a character test if they are considered a security risk by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
The family believes her age makes her an unlikely security risk, questioning why she was detained in the first place. No reasons were provided for her release either. Community supporters credited the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, for efforts to secure her release. The home affairs department was reached out for comment.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/18/palestinian-woman-released-from-immigration-detention-in-sydney-a-week-after-assistant-minister-cancelled-her-visa-ntwnfb
