A convicted child sex offender and a Lebanese man who was part of a large-scale drug operation have been spared deportation under reworked visa cancellation directions, in a significant test for new Immigration Minister Tony Burke.
Philippines-born Earl Sanchez was last year sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for aggravated sexual intercourse with a child, prompting the automatic cancellation of his visa.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal has now found Sanchez should be allowed to remain in Australia after assessing his case under Direction 110 instructions recently introduced by Mr Burke’s predecessor, Andrew Giles.
