The Australian government has come under scrutiny following revelations of invalid visas issued to 149 individuals released from indefinite detention, a mistake attributed to a “technical issue” in the visa class. This error, discovered in the aftermath of the NZYQ case, led to the people being given Bridging Visa R, deemed illegitimate. As a result, legal breaches relating to reporting and curfew conditions by the affected individuals may see charges dropped, due to the invalidity of their visas. Efforts are underway to reissue valid visas to rectify the situation. Criticism from opposition figures, including Shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan and Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley, has mounted, demanding accountability from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

In a separate incident, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has apologized after wrongly arresting Iraqi refugee Nahi Al Sharify at his Sydney home. Al Sharify, in community detention following a high court ruling on immigration detention, was mistakenly detained for allegedly breaching bail conditions due to false intelligence and a system error. Despite his compliance with visa conditions and without any criminal record, the wrongful arrest caused Al Sharify significant distress, reminiscent of his past trauma in Iraq. This incident has highlighted concerns over the treatment of refugees in Australia and emphasized the need for improved communication and verification processes within law enforcement to prevent such errors.