BFM16 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 31 March 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 312
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 31 March 2021

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

BFM16 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCA 312

File number(s):	NSD 755 of 2019
Judgment of:	FARRELL J
Date of judgment:	31 March 2021
Catchwords:	MIGRATION – application to review and set aside decision of the Minister to exercise his discretion under s 501A(2) of the Migration Act1958 (Cth) to refuse to grant a Protection (Class XA) visa – where Administrative Appeals Tribunal found Australia owes non-refoulement obligations in respect of the applicant – whether Minister formed his assessment of the national interest under s 501(2)(e) unreasonably and not on a correct understanding of the law – where Minister fell into jurisdictional error by assessing the determination of the national interest on an erroneously narrow basis by failing to consider the impact of breach of international non-refoulement obligations on Australia’s national interest arising from a refusal of the applicant’s visa – where Minister’s reasons provide a “formulaic and perfunctory” consideration of the basis of Australia’s non-refoulement obligations and their impact on his decision – Minister’s decision set aside
Legislation:	Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) s 25D Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 144 Migration Act 1958 (Cth) ss 4, 5, 5H, 5J, 5M, 35A, 36, 37A, 48A, 48B, 91A-91X, 189, 193, 195A, 196, 197C, 198, 476A, 501, 501A, 501E, 501G, 501H Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Act 2014 (No. 135 of 2014) Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, opened for signature 28 July 1951, 189 UNTS 137 (entered into force 22 April 1954), as amended by the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, opened for signature 31 January 1967, 606 UNTS 267 (entered into force 4 October 1967) Arts 1A, 1F, 33
Cases cited:	Agraira v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) [2013] SCC 36; 2 S.C.R. 559 Al-Kateb v Godwin[2004] HCA 37; (2004) 219 CLR 562 Applicant S270/2019 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection[2020] HCA 32 AQM18 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2018] FCA 944 AQM18 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection[2019] FCAFC 27; (2019) 268 FCR 424 Atkins v Minister for Home Affairs[2019] FCAFC 159 Avon Downs Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1949] HCA 26; (1949) 78 CLR 353 Ayoub v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] FCAFC 83; (2015) 231 FCR 513 BAL19 v Minister for Home Affairs [2019] FCA 2189 Buck v Bavone[1976] HCA 24; (1976) 135 CLR 100 Carrascalao v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] FCAFC 107; (2017) 252 FCR 352 Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs[1992] HCA 64; (1992) 176 CLR 1 Cotterill v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCAFC 61; (2016) 240 FCR 29 CWY20 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs[2020] FCA 1855 Folau v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] FCAFC 214; (2017) 256 FCR 455 FRH18 v Minister for Home Affairs [2018] FCA 1769; (2018) 266 FCR 413 Gbojueh v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship[2012] FCA 288; (2012) 202 FCR 417 Goundar v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] FCA 1203 Graham v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 33; 263 CLR 1 Hands v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2018] FCAFC 225; (2018) 267 FCR 628 Hicks v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs[2003] FCA 757 Ibrahim v Minister for Home Affairs[2019] FCAFC 89; (2019) 270 FCR 12 Jione v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2015] FCA 144; (2015) 232 FCR 120 KDSP v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 108 Koon Wing Lau v Calwell[1949] HCA 65; (1949) 80 CLR 533 Leiataua v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2012] FCA 1427; (2012) 208 FCR 448 Madafferi v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs[2002] FCAFC 220 Maurangi v Bowen [2012] FCA 15; (2012) 200 FCR 191 Maxwell v Minister for Immigration [2016] FCA 47; 249 FCR 275 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd[1986] HCA 40; (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Le [2016] FCAFC 120; (2016) 244 FCR 56 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Li[2013] HCA 18; (2013) 249 CLR 332 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZRKT[2013] FCA 317; (2013) 212 FCR 99 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang [1996] HCA 6; (1996) 185 CLR 259 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Gunner(1998) 84 FCR 400 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Yusuf[2001] HCA 30; (2001) 206 CLR 323 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Huynh[2004] FCAFC 256; (2004) 139 FCR 505 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Nystrom[2006] HCA 50; (2006) 228 CLR 566 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v BFW20 by his Litigation Representative BFW20A[2020] FCAFC 121 Minister of State for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh [1995] HCA 20; (1995) 183 CLR 273 MZAGK v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] FCA 1190; (2014) 226 FCR 311 Navarrete v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs [2004] FCA 1723 NBMZ v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] FCAFC 38; (2014) 220 FCR 1 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Applicant S20/2002[2003] HCA 30; (2003) 77 ALJR 1165 Re Patterson; Ex parte Taylor[2001] HCA 51; (2001) 207 CLR 391 Sean Investments Pty Ltd v MacKellar [1981] FCA 191; (1981) 38 ALR 363 Sowa v Minister for Home Affairs[2019] FCAFC 111 Stambe v Minister for Health [2019] FCA 43; (2019) 270 FCR 173 Plaintiff M61/2010E v The Commonwealth [2010] HCA 41; 243 CLR 319 Plaintiff S10/2011 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship[2012] HCA 31; (2012) 246 CLR 636 Plaintiff S156/2013 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2014] HCA 22; (2014) 254 CLR 28 Wei v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection[2015] HCA 51; (2015) 257 CLR 22
Division:	General Division
Registry:	New South Wales
National Practice Area:	Administrative and Constitutional Law and Human Rights
Number of paragraphs:

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