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CANBERRA - The Australian federal government has cancelled the visa of Dr Mohamed Haneef.
Haneef has been charged with supporting terrorism but was granted bail by a Brisbane magistrate today.
Following the cancellation of his visa, Haneef will be held in immigration detention in Brisbane pending the hearing
of his charges.
"I am satisfied the cancellation is in the national interest," Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said.
Mr Andrews said he had come to the conclusion that Haneef failed a character test and he had used his powers under migration law to cancel his visa.
"Based on information and advice I have received from the Australian Federal Police I reasonably suspect that Dr Haneef has had or has an association with persons involved in criminal conduct namely terrorism," he said.
The Australian Federal Police will issue a criminal justice certificate, the effect of which is Haneef will remain in immigration detention while legal proceedings are on foot, Mr Andrews said.
Haneef will be transferred from detention in Brisbane to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney as soon as arrangements can be made, he said.
Mr Andrews said Haneef's case was currently being processed under the criminal justice system in Brisbane, but once that was completed he would be moved.
"Once that processing has completed there, he will be taken into immigration detention, arrangements will be made to relocate him to the Villawood detention centre," he said.
Mr Andrews said he had a responsibility under the Migration Act to be strict on Haneef.
"I have a responsibility and a duty as minister under the act to turn my mind to the question of whether Dr Haneef passes the character test," he said.
"In turning my mind to the information and advice provided to me by the Australian Federal Police, I have come to the conclusion I reasonably suspect that Dr Haneef has or has had an association with persons involved in criminal conduct."
Mr Andrews said the matter of the visa cancellation was unrelated to whether Haneef received a fair trial.
"This is unrelated to the question of proceedings in the criminal court in Brisbane," the minister said.
"This is a direct responsibility set out in the Migration Act, this is not the first person, indeed, whose visa has been cancelled."
Mr Andrews refused to answer the question of whether the decision was a direct rebuttal of the magistrate's decision today to grant Haneef bail.
"The magistrate in Brisbane has a set of responsibilities which she has carried out and I'm making no comment whatsoever on the magistrate or any decision made by the magistrate."
Mr Andrews said Haneef was not the first person to have their visa cancelled.
"It happens on a regular basis where somebody is judged not to pass the character test," he said.
Mr Andrews said the responsibilities of Queensland Magistrate Jacqui Payne, who today granted Haneef A$10,000 ($11,195) bail, were separate to those of the federal government.
"The magistrate in Brisbane has a set of responsibilities which she has carried out and I am making no comment whatsoever on the magistrate or any decision made by the magistrate in Queensland.
"I have parallel to that a set of responsibilities and that's what I've acted upon."
Mr Andrews rejected the suggestion the cancellation of the visa was a face-saving exercise designed to prove the Australian Federal Police's investigation and detention of Haneef had been justified.
"This is simply a matter of me looking at the responsibilities that I have under the migration legislation.
"Then making a decision."
- AAP
