In an important development, the chiefs of the Australian Border Force (ABF) and Immigration have reportedly made an apology for a joint operation which invited a widespread uproar by implying that officers would go out onto the streets to check public’s permit condition.

Operation Fortitude was revoked, thanks to the extensive annoyance caused by a release in the media which had not received a green signal from the top level and hinted that authorities would stop public in the street in Melbourne to confirm their immigration standing and permit eligibility.

As per the in-office Immigration Department chief, the ABF has presently carried-out an all-inclusive review of its media processes and many officials had been officially counseled since the event in August.

He stated that it is rather clear that the media release made public was extremely badly worded and it led to the belief that the ABF enjoys general powers of questioning public in the street but it does not.

ABF Commissioner also made an apology. At the time he was condemned for saying that the release was just ‘clumsily worded’ but has not accepted that it was, in reality, factually incorrect.

He stated that regrettably the ABF made public a media release which was literally incorrect in explaining Operation Fortitude’s responsibility and the same resulted in public uncertainty, concern and suffering.

He elucidated that the press release was cleared at a low level in the group and it represented a responsibility which was not the agreed between Victorian police & the ABF.

Still, he accepted that the state & territory police jurisdictions perform comparable drives all through the year, throughout the nation even as the ABF is a secondary referral organization in such drives.

He accepted that it’s a ill-timed development, and it would have been better had it not taken place.