HAKEEM RETURNS HOME

The 76-day plight of refugee and soccer player Hakeem Al-Araibi has come to an end, after the Bahraini government dropped the extradition case against him following his arrest after a wrongly-issued Interpol red notice.

Mr Al-Araibi has lived in Australia for five years and was granted refugee status after a three-year process.

Having flown to Thailand with his wife on their honeymoon, Mr Al-Araibi was promptly taken into custody by Thai authorities and told that he would be sent back to Bahrain.

From the moment of his arrest, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, worked hard with Australia’s Bangkok embassy to facilitate Al-Araibi’s release. This pressure on Thailand was compounded by the international soccer community, human rights groups and a significant media campaign, led by former-Socceroo and SBS journalist Craig Foster.

Finally arriving back in Melbourne on Tuesday, Mr Al-Araibi told reporters that ‘I would just thank Australia, it’s amazing to see all the people here, all of Australia, the media who have supported me’.

On Thursday, Mr Al-Araibi met with the Prime Minister, who gifted him a soccer ball and said, ‘we are so pleased you are here now, and that you can come and live your life here in Australia’.