Nearly 200 people who went to the Commonwealth Games on Australia`s Gold Coast have applied for refugee visas, up from previous forecasts, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Immigration workers in Canberra said nearly 250 people were illegally stranded in Australia, although visas had expired for those attending the Games on the Gold Coast.
Malisa Golightly, a member of the Department of Homeland Affairs, said 190 of them had applied for protection visas.
Another 50 people did not contact the authorities. Golightly said another 10 to 15 people applied for other types of visas.
Last month, athletes from several countries, including African national sports delegations, disappeared in the athletes` village.
Refugee protection people have been helping them to apply for visas. And the protectors said the government had previously agreed to speed up the approval process for some of the applications.
Greens Senator Nick McKim has put pressure on the Department of Homeland Affairs to process their applications quickly.
Golightly said the Department of Homeland Affairs would process the applications as quickly as possible, but he did not give a time guarantee. "these applications will be evaluated in accordance with standard procedures. We will give as much priority as we can. "
Last week, Homeland Affairs Secretary Peter Dutton said nearly half of the people who went to major events in Australia would stay at home.
Refugee Advice and Casework Service staff member Sarah Dale says government has started processing some of the applications.
The majority of people applying for protection visas, including athletes and support workers, are from African countries, Dale said. Some countries were affected by the war, including Ghana and Nigeria. But the Herald Sun learned that Indian and Pakistani sports teams were also stuck in Australia.
Some of them are afraid to go home because of their sexual orientation.
"We have recently heard of many examples of people who are afraid of being hurt because they have been identified as homosexual love. And the specific person`s protection sign will pass, we will not know until the end of the processing.
It is reported that these people do not want to leave Australia will also be a heavy blow to taxpayers. As a result, taxpayers have to face millions of dollars in fees.
The Australians welcome the more than 8000 athletes and staff to the Games with trust, Dutton said. Under international law, Australia must now seriously consider these visa applications.
