Press watchdog warns publications against using phrase ‘fake refugee’, clears Courier-Mail

The Courier-Mail has been cleared by the Press Council for publishing an opinion piece which made references to “foreign-born criminals” and “fake refugees”, but the watchdog has warned other publications to avoid using the same phrase.

Written by columnist Des Houghton, the opinion piece was published on May 27 with the print headline ‘Fake refugee outrage: Rapists, a hitman, and ice dealers allowed to stay’. Online, the article was titled ‘Opinion: Administrative Appeals Tribunal has gone too far by allowing foreign-born criminals to stay‘.