MP tells of Somali passport fraud
23rd February 2009, 18:27 WST
Somalis are getting into Australia through "miraculously" lost passports in Malaysia, a Liberal MP has told federal parliament.
Jason Wood, a former Victorian police officer, said he would formally raise the issue with Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus.
Mr Wood said a number of people of Somalian descent holding Australian passports had gone to Malaysia, which had no visa requirements with Somalia.
"What happens there is that they miraculously lose their Australian passports and then a similar looking person gets possession of their passport, and it is still not reported as stolen," he said.
"The person who now has the stolen passport arrives back into Australia and gets through customs.
"My enquiries show that the normal process, which happens after two or three days, is that the person applies for refugee status to get all the benefits.
"The person of Somalian origin who had the Australian passport issued then reports the passport stolen in Malaysia."
Mr Wood said there were at least seven cases where a person with a stolen passport got through customs.
He said the government needed to look at the matter very closely because of al-Qaeda's links with Somalia.
Mr Wood said the people who got in may just want to "hang low" as long as they can.
"I would just hate to think there was something more sinister," he said.
Mr Wood was speaking on a bill, which the opposition supports, which beefs up laws against identity fraud.
The Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Identity Crimes and Other Measures) Bill later passed the lower house and now goes to the Senate.
AAP
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx ... ame=553602