Pressure mounts over detainee handling

The Opposition has turned up the pressure on Immigration Minister Andrew Giles over the management of ex-detainees and the decision to not place ankle monitoring requirements on a man who is alleged to have attacked a Perth grandmother.

The issue was ignited when three men allegedly talked their way into the home of Ninette Simons and her husband Philip and bashed the grandmother before making off with $200,000 worth of jewellery.

Kuwaiti-born Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan has been charged over his alleged involvement in the attack.

He was one of 150 people released from immigration detention following a High Court order last year.

Pressure mounts over detainee handling

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday conceded it was the “wrong decision” by a board, set up to manage the detainees, that he not wear an anklet bracelet.

“Yes, it is. I think that’s a wrong decision by that board, but they make the decisions,” Mr Albanese told Sunrise, conceding it was a failure.

Mr Giles also placed responsibility at the feet of the hand-picked board.

“The Community Protection Board provided recommendations on the management and visa conditions of all individuals, and a delegate of the minister subsequently granted visas with conditions taking into consideration this advice from the board,” a spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

The Opposition has used the issue to pile pressure on Mr Giles, accusing him of not fronting up to the press.

“And yet we have not heard from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles,” Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan said on Saturday.

“He needs to front up today and he needs to explain all the mistakes that have been made, the ways they’ve been made and needs to reassure the Australian community that he’s keeping them safe,”

“He needs to explain why his hand-picked delegate made the decision to take the ankle bracelet off this detainee. Even though the minister had committed in March that they would all be watched.”

Mr Tehan accused the Prime Minister of using the Community Safety Board to protect shield the minister.

“If Andrew Giles doesn’t front up today, then the Prime Minister has only one course of action and he has to ask Andrew Giles to do the honourable thing and resign,” Mr Tehan said.

The Immigration Minister’s office has been approached for comment.