The top brass of the Australian Border Force (ABF) has publically apologised for the bungled “Operation Fortitude’ on a ‘clumsily worded” media release indicating that there was no intention to randomly check the visa status of whoever the ABF officers came across. In contrast, internal emails obtained by the ABC show that ABF officers actually planned to conduct ‘status checks’.

DIBP has gone into damage control again. Just after Secretary of Immigration Michael Pezzullo and Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg both publically apologised for the "clumsily worded" media release that led to public outcry and protest against ABFs attempt to conduct illegal visa checks on August 20 this year, the ABC's 7.30 Report has discovered documents showing that six ABF officers were to conduct "status checks" at two taxi ranks, speaking with members of the public who they suspected could be in Australia illegally and without a valid visa.

Facing a Senate Committee, Mr Pezzullo seemed to brush off the saga as an over-reaction from the media and the public for an honest mistake. He told the senate estimates committee that "It is clear that the media release issued that morning was very badly worded and gave rise to the impression that the ABF has general powers of questioning people in the street. It does not, and I apologise for the impression that was wrongly created.

"We certainly don't rely on racial profiling at all" said Secretary of Immigration Michael Pezzullo.

However, the ABC has discovered that talking points and the associated media release were approved within a number of levels with the final version reaching the Minister’s office. The internal documents obtained by the ABC describe the role of ABF officers as being "positioned at various locations within the Melbourne CBD, speaking to individuals who we suspect may be in Australia illegally without a current and valid visa".

The points said if officers were asked by journalists who they would target they should reply: "We will be speaking with any individual we cross paths with."

It also suggested officers should reply that they "employ a range of techniques to determine if we think someone is demonstrating traits which indicate there is a need to conduct a more in-depth assessment of their current visa status".