Peter Qasim ( ur, پیٹر قاسم) was the longest-serving detainee in Australian immigration detention, having been detained there for over seven years. He had not been

deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...

because he was stateless. He was detained at

Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre or commonly just Baxter Detention Centre, was an Australian immigration detention facility near the town of Port Augusta in South Australia. It was the focus of much of the controversy concerni ...

before being transferred to an Adelaide psychiatric facility. He had applied to over 80 countries for

asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

, but had not been accepted. This includes

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, which claims sovereignty over

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

, from where Qasim originates.

Detention in Australia

In personal accounts Qasim described escaping from his home village of Gopalla in India, into Pakistan, then through Singapore and Papua New Guinea onto Australia. Qasim's provenance, however, proved difficult to verify due to a lack of supporting documentation or witnesses. This lack of evidence, and numerous unsuccessful attempts to validate Qasim's story were primarily responsible for his prolonged period of detention. His case has been publicised by the well-known Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith. Australian authorities have maintained that he has not proven his nationality. He was invited to apply for a new

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

on 20 June 2005. In 2005, Qasim was 31 years old, and was held at

Baxter Detention Centre Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre or commonly just Baxter Detention Centre, was an Australian immigration detention facility near the town of Port Augusta in South Australia. It was the focus of much of the controversy concerni ...

until, on 9 June 2005, he was moved to a psychiatric hospital. He received treatment for depression.

Release

On 16 July 2005 Qasim was granted a

bridging visa Bridging may refer to: Construction * Building of bridges across a gap * Cross bracing used between joists to stabilize them Electronics and computing * In electronics, using a low source impedance to drive a large load impedance for maximum vol ...

by the Australian government. The visa granted permission to work and to receive welfare benefits. He spent a total of six years and 10 months in detention. He is still holding a bridging visa as of September 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Qasim, Peter Stateless people Living people Australian people of Kashmiri descent Australian Muslims Indian emigrants to Australia 1974 births People from Jammu and Kashmir People from Rajouri district

Detention in Australia

Release

See also

References