An Indian couple had sought refuge in Mildura, a regional city in north-west Victoria. The couple had claimed that they could get killed if they returned to their home country.
The Sunraysiadaily reported that this husband and wife arrived in Melbourne in 2013 on tourist visas but they skipped the tour and moved to Mildura.
In their protection visa application, the couple claimed the husband borrowed money from a private lender who was threatening to kill the man.
The couple had lived in the UK before coming to Australia. The tribunal was told that they were forced to flee the country in 2013 because of the continuous threats.
The tribunal observed that there were inconsistencies in the claims.
“It seemed strange that the lender had left the (husband’s) family alone, despite the asserted threats, and had let the family continue to live in the house covered by the title deeds given to the lender for so long, despite the failure to reply the money owed,” the tribunal wrote in written submissions.
The judge decided the tribunal had complied with the requirements of section 424AA of the Migration Act and dismissed the appeal. The couple has been ordered to pay costs.
