AusLeisure

The Australian Senate has been told that around 50 competitors have remained in the country illegally after going missing during this year's Commonwealth Games.

Federal Department of Home Affairs Malisa Golightly yesterday also told a Senate committee that nearly 200 other Games athletes hold bridging visas and are applying for refugee status.

The Department had previously warned it will deport those who stay in the country illegally, after dozens of competitors - including many from Africa - disappeared from the competition.

The numbers are a dramatic increase on other international sporting events.

Golightly told the committee that the Australian Government had "had no contact" with the missing athletes, but added "we know they haven't left."

She said that around 190 of the 205 athletes and officials in the country legally are seeking protection visas. The remaining number are applying for business or other visas.

There has been considerable media speculation that anywhere between 20 and 100 athletes had absconded during the Gold Coast Games, which ended on 15th April.

They included eight members of Cameroon's delegation, as well as participants from Uganda, Sierra Leone and Rwanda.

Other athletes have disappeared during major international sporting events, although not on this scale.

During the London 2012 Olympics, 21 athletes and coaches vanished and many have still not been found. More than 80 also filed for asylum in the same period.

When Australia last held the Commonwealth Games, in 2006, more than 40 athletes and officials overstayed or sought asylum. 

Image: The opening ceremony at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

16th April 2018 - GOLDOC CHAIRMAN BEATTIE ADMITS ERRORS AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY 

5th April 2018 - COMMONWEALTH GAMES OPENING CELEBRATES AUSTRALIA FROM BEACH TO BUSH

4th April 2018 - GOLD COAST READY FOR LARGEST EVER COMMONWEALTH GAMES

2nd April 2018 - TTF SURVEY SHOWS NATIONWIDE SUPPORT FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES 

25th March 2018 - GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES VILLAGE OPENED FOR COMPETITORS AND OFFICIALS

23rd March 2018 - METRICON STADIUM TRANSFORMS AHEAD OF 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES OPENING CEREMONY 

21st March 2018 - FREE COMMONWEALTH GAMES WI-FI TO MINE VISITORS’ FACEBOOK DATA

21st December 2017 - MASSIVE ROOFTOP SOLAR INSTALLATION LAUNCHED AT GOLD COAST AQUATIC CENTRE 

4th December 2017 - METRICON STADIUM UNDERGOES GOLD COAST 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES TRANSFORMATION

20th November 2017 - FINAL MAJOR RELEASE OF TICKETS FOR GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES 

26th March 2014 - GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES’ ATHLETES VILLAGE REVEALED 

18th February 2012 - GOLD COAST 2018 GAMES CHAIR ANNOUNCES CHIEF EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT 

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.