War crimes unit open

Letter to the Editor - The Sun-Herald
28 January 2007

Dear Sir/Madam

The Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) continues to operate a war crimes unit despite your suggestion such work has ceased (War crimes controversy as taskforce is wound up, 21/01/07).

You have created some confusion between the War Crimes Task Force that was established to investigate a discrete set of cases, and the ongoing work carried out by the department's War Crimes Screening Unit.

The War Crimes Task Force was established in December 2005 and disbanded after it completed its review of 82 cases in June 2006.

The department continues to operate a War Crimes Screening Unit that screens any visa or citizenship applicant who may have a connection to war crimes.

The article also seems to imply that the department only screens applicants from the former Republic of Yugoslavia, but DIMA in fact screens all applicants for visas or citizenship, irrespective of nationality.

Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs