Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Documents Held By The Department Of Foreign Affairs And Trade (including The Australian Embassy In Tokyo) That Record, Summarise, Analyse, Or Report On The Use And Outcomes Of Letters Or Other…
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Documents Held By The Department Of Foreign Affairs And Trade (including The Australian Embassy In Tokyo) That Record, Summarise, Analyse, Or Report On The Use And Outcomes Of Letters Or Other Written Communications (including Emails Or Formal Notices) Sent By DFAT To Australian Children Located In Japan In Cases Involving International Parental Child Abduction Or International Parental Separation. Specifically, I Seek Documents That Record: The Number Of Letters Or Other Written Communications Sent By DFAT Or The Australian Embassy In Tokyo To Australian Children In Japan In Such Cases, By Year Where Available. Any Documents Recording Outcomes Associated With Those Communications, Including (but Not Limited To): Confirmation Of Delivery Or Refusal Of Delivery, Child-Initiated Contact With An Australian Parent Following The Communication, Reconnection Or Resumption Of Communication With An Australian Parent. Any Internal Evaluations, Briefings, Advice, Or Correspondence Assessing The Effectiveness, Limitations, Or Policy Rationale Of This Letter-Based Approach. To Address Privacy Considerations, I Am Seeking Access Only To De-Identified And/or Aggregated Information. I Do Not Seek Access To Any Documents Containing Personal Identifiers Of Children Or Parents.
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DFAT disclosed records documenting a letter-writing initiative to contact Australian children in Japan involved in international parental child abduction or separation cases. The disclosure includes a tracking table showing at least five letters sent between June 2023 and February 2026, all approved by DFAT delegates (Warren MacIlwan and Claire Rochecouste). The cases involved domestic custody disputes, Attorney General's Department referrals, Hague Convention matters, and overseas custody situations. Notably, none of the five documented letters resulted in recorded responses from the recipients. The disclosure also includes internal correspondence from March 2023 discussing a proposal to send letters to Australian citizens around their 18th birthday regarding passport eligibility, involving coordination between DFAT and the Attorney General's Department under the Hague Convention framework. Most substantive details remain redacted under legal privilege and section 42(1) exemptions, limiting visibility into the policy rationale, letter content, and effectiveness assessments of this approach.
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