Australia court battles continue for man born in PNG

7:07 am on 21 May 2020

Australia's government is appealing a federal court decision allowing an Australian born in Papua New Guinea the right to renew his passport.

Last month a four year battle seemingly ended for Troyzone Lee when Federal court Judge Darryl Rangiah ruled he was an Australian citizen.

But within the last week, Australia's government has filed an appeal.

Troyzone Lee was 4 years-old when his parents, both Australian citizens, organised his passport after they moved back to Brisbane from Port Moresby.

He was born in PNG while it was still part of Australia, in the months before independence.

Mr Lee's dramas began in 2016, when what he thought would be routine passport renewal spiralled into a fight for his identity.

He's not alone.

Many Pacific Island Australians, most of them from PNG, have had passports cancelled, after immigration law changes implemented in recent years.

According to the federal government, Mr Lee is not an Australian citizen, even though his parents and siblings are.

The Australian government are saying the passport he has held for 40 years was a mistake, and with their appeal, they intend to prove he belonged where he was born, in Papua New Guinea.