The Australian Labor government has expressed skepticism over reports that the Trump administration is considering transferring a 52-year-old Iranian-born man, Reza Zavvar, from U.S. immigration detention to Australia, a country he has no connection to, according to The Guardian. Zavvar, who has lived in the United States for four decades, is currently being held in immigration detention near his Maryland home. He first arrived in the U.S. as a 12-year-old on a student visa and later became a permanent resident through a green card. His detention stems from a marijuana conviction dating back

The Australian Labor government has expressed skepticism over reports that the Trump administration is considering transferring a 52-year-old Iranian-born man, Reza Zavvar, from U.S. immigration detention to Australia, a country he has no connection to, according to

The Guardian.

Zavvar, who has lived in the United States for four decades, is currently being held in immigration detention near his Maryland home. He first arrived in the U.S. as a 12-year-old on a student visa and later became a permanent resident through a green card. His detention stems from a marijuana conviction dating back to the 1990s. Despite his long-standing ties to the U.S., Zavvar is now facing deportation due to that historical conviction. However, he cannot be returned to Iran, where he fears persecution. Since 2007, he has lived under what is known as "withholding of removal" status, which generally prevents deportation but allows U.S. authorities to name third countries for potential transfer. According to documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Australia and Romania have been listed as potential destinations. But Zavvar's lawyer, Ava Benach, says that makes no sense. “There is no rhyme or reason to it, that was just what was put on the form,” Benach told media outlets. “He has no ties to Australia. He’s never been to Australia. No family, no education there. How they came up with that is anyone’s guess.”

Guardian Australia

approached Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong for comment. A government spokesperson responded, saying the Australian government has not been contacted by U.S. officials regarding Zavvar's case. “There have been no new agreements made with the Trump administration on immigration,” the spokesperson said.

“We consider any application for a visa on its merits – we have not been contacted by the US government about this matter.”

The government emphasized that there is no existing arrangement for receiving U.S. immigration detainees, and denied knowledge of any such proposed transfer. Zavvar, who previously held legal status in the U.S., has expressed confusion and distress at the situation. “He’s perplexed. He never would have contemplated that this could have happened,” said Benach in an interview with

ABC

. She added that many Iranians in the U.S. have recently faced arrest and detention, in part due to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies, particularly targeting non-citizens with past convictions. The administration has dramatically escalated deportations, including to countries where individuals have no roots. Many deportees have been arrested without prior notice, sparking lawsuits and criticism from human rights advocates. While there is no agreement for the U.S. to send deportees to Australia, the two countries do have a recent history of controversial immigration deals. In 2016, then U.S. President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull struck a deal to transfer up to 1,250 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centers on Nauru and Papua New Guinea to the U.S. That agreement triggered President Trump’s ire shortly after taking office. In a now-infamous phone call with Turnbull, Trump called it “the worst deal ever,” though he reluctantly agreed to honor it. The full terms of the arrangement were never made public. Despite initial tensions, more than 1,100 refugees including men, women, and children from countries such as Iran, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, were eventually resettled in the U.S. under that deal, according to data from the Refugee Council of Australia. As for Zavvar, his future remains uncertain. Australia says it’s not involved in the case, and Romania has not commented. Meanwhile, legal advocates argue that deporting him to a country where he has never set foot would be both illogical and unjust.  

A little more informed. A little more connected.