Organisers of an international research conference have criticised a last-minute Australian government decision to deny visas to eight invited researchers, mostly from Asia and Africa.
Prof Justin Welbergen, chair of the 20th International Bat Research Conference in Cairns, said the decision to deny the researchers entry without option to appeal had disrupted the event, which is a key forum for global collaboration on bat research and conservation.
He said the eight researchers from Kenya, Uganda, India, Pakistan and Georgia were “recognised contributors to the global field of bat research and conservation”. Among them is a well-renowned bat researcher who did his PhD in Australia.
The refusals came amid reports in the AFR that the immigration minister, Tony Burke, had denied dozens of visas on the basis of social cohesion.
When asked why the delegates’ visas were denied, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said it could not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.
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“All non-citizens applying for visas to enter Australia are considered on an individual basis and against legal requirements set out in Australia’s migration legislation,” the spokesperson said.
“This includes requirements that all applicants undertake and meet (where relevant) health, character and security checks.”
The International Bat Research Conference dates back to 1968 and is held once every three years. The last time Australia hosted the event was Sydney in 1989.
About 500 delegates from research institutions, governments, industry and conservation organisations from 59 countries were attending the week-long conference, held on 3–8 August in Queensland.
On Thursday, a letter to Burke from the organising committee was gathering support and signatures from almost 150 delegates.
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The letter expressed the committee’s “deep concern and disappointment” about the decisions to deny the visas, which it said risked damaging Australia’s reputation as a hub for international exchange in science.
“Scientific progress depends on the open exchange of knowledge across borders, including in areas such as zoonotic disease surveillance, biodiversity conservation and ecological sustainability – all topics with direct relevance to Australia’s own interests,” the letter said.
“We stand in solidarity with our valued colleagues who were denied entry, and we request the government takes immediate steps to rectify these actions in future proceedings.”