In a significant development, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has canceled the visa of a Sudanese man accused of a brutal murder in Brisbane on Mother’s Day.
Emmanuel Saki, 29, is currently in custody after being charged with the stabbing of 22-year-old Bosco Minyurano on May 12 in Acacia Ridge. This arrest came just weeks after the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) reinstated his visa.
The federal opposition has seized upon this incident to intensify its criticism of Immigration Minister Giles, pointing to a ministerial direction he issued earlier this year that influenced the AAT’s ruling.
Ministerial Direction 99, introduced by Giles in early 2023, requires bodies like the AAT to consider an individual’s community ties in their decisions.
Saki, who arrived in Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2006 at the age of 12, had his visa canceled in 2019 after being convicted of choking the mother of one of his two daughters, a crime that resulted in an 18-month prison sentence. The AAT acknowledged this conviction, along with a series of other offenses, but ultimately decided that his extensive time in Australia and family connections justified reinstating his visa earlier this year.
During parliamentary Question Time, the opposition highlighted Saki’s case and other recent AAT rulings allowing convicted criminals to remain in Australia due to considerations under Ministerial Direction 99.
“The Albanese Labor government’s watering down of the law has allowed this criminal to stay in Australia, making our country less safe,” Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley stated in parliament. “When will the Albanese government apologize for this catastrophic mistake and reverse Direction 99?”
Minister Giles expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and clarified the situation during Question Time. “This was a visa that was canceled and remained canceled under Ministerial Direction 99,” he said. “It was a decision of the AAT, an independent tribunal, to overturn the cancellation of the visa. I remind the house that the direction places a serious emphasis on family violence — these need to be considered in all matters by the tribunal. I have canceled the individual’s visa, and as this matter is before the courts, I will say nothing further about it.”
Ministerial Direction 99, issued by Giles in early 2023, aimed to address concerns from successive New Zealand governments regarding the deportation of Kiwi criminals with minimal ties to their home country. The Coalition, which had resisted policy changes while in office, continued to press Giles in parliament.
“Why did the minister not step in, intervene, and cancel a visa before this man went on to allegedly murder a 22-year-old?” Opposition Leader Peter Dutton questioned.
Giles responded, “Direction 99 did not decrease the importance placed on considerations, such as the expectations of the Australian community and the protection of the community from crime. The visa in question was canceled and remained canceled by my department in accordance with Ministerial Direction 99. Several cases were not raised with me by my department, and I’ve asked my department for an explanation why. My department is now reviewing all these cases as a priority, and they are all under cancellation consideration.”