Australia to release man claiming to be Indian

Qasim claims to be an Indian national from Jammu and Kashmir, but Australia has been unable to verify his identity and India has refused to accept him back.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said Qasim had agreed to cooperate with authorities and would be free to live and work in the community, but officials were still about his identity. ‘‘There’s been a change in his cooperation,’’ Vanstone said. ‘‘It wasn’t, unfortunately, something that resulted in us being able to successfully identify him.’’

His detention has cast a spotlight on Australia’s tough immigration policy, among the world’s strictest. Illegal arrivals are detained in tightly policed camps, along with illegal workers and visa over-stayers to deter illegal immigration.

The camps, which have been condemned by international human rights groups, have been hit by protests, hungerstrikes, riots, escapes and suicide bids as asylum seekers become frustrated at delays, sometimes years, in hearing cases.

—Reuters