A lawyer for Mohammed Haneef, accompanying his client on a flight to Bangalore, has said that Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews' refusal to restore the Indian doctor's visa will damage Australia's reputation, making overseas people 'suspicious' about living and working in this country.
Haneef left for India via Bangkok along with his lawyer Peter Russo and relative Imran Siddiqui on Saturday night from Brisbane after Australian authorities dropped terror charges against him in connection with the failed UK terror plot.
During their stopover in Bangkok, Russo expressed his anger at Andrews' decision of not to reinstate the Indian doctor's visa.
"The minister's decision is beyond bizarre," Russo was quoted as saying by The Australian daily.
"The minister's decision will mystify the great majority of Australian people," he said, adding, "It will make overseas people very suspicious about living and working in Australia and this negative perception will take decades to erase."
Russo said he was also angered by Andrews' comments that Haneef's rapid departure from Australia heightened his suspicion of the India doctor.
"Haneef had left the country voluntarily after the criminal charge was dropped, but he wanted to continue the fight to have his work visa restored," Russo said.
"What we can't understand is how the minister can cling to a view that a man who had been detained for nearly a month on charges that proved to be baseless can continue to smear his good name through an executive decision based on secret material," he added.
Immigration officials prevented Haneef from conducting an open press conference to thank his supporters prior to his departure, Russo said.
Haneef's legal team were not privy to a deal between the Indian doctor and the Nine Network to conduct an exclusive yet to be telecast interview before his departure late last night.