Any documents or emails created by DFAT in response to media queries from the Australian Financial Review made on Thursday August 27 about Bathla Group

Written by Claude Haiku 5.5 from the extracted text on 23 Oct 2026. It can miss or misread redacted and scanned pages. Check the source before relying on it.

The release comprises internal DFAT media-liaison emails and clearance chains, dated 27 to 31 August 2026, responding to an Australian Financial Review query (initially sent via Nine) about the collapse of Bathla Group and Universal Property Group. The query alleged that DFAT officials were considering emergency visas to help around 200 Indian sub-contractors, reportedly working on tourist visas without passports, return to India. The agreed background line, not for attribution, states that visa questions are a matter for Home Affairs and that Australia does not facilitate passports for foreign nationals. Emails show the enquiry was routed among Home Affairs, DEWR and ASIC, and cleared by DFAT's India Branch and post, with a heads-up to Home Affairs. Several passages are redacted under sections 22, 33 and 47E(d) of the FOI Act.