Edit: People power has won this round. The Victorian Police and Australian Border Force have cancelled the operation.
Authorities have recently announced that this weekend will see the arrival of a combined border patrol force to Melbourne. This crack team will be checking people for visas in Melbourne’s Central Business District (electronically, you won’t need your actual papers) in a way they have assured the public will not be racially motivated.
To assist the authorities with “promoting civil cohesion”, and to avoid your personal rights being violated, here are a few suggestions to beat the blues, so to speak.
Dining
We know you really wanted to get Chinese food this evening, but perhaps you would prefer something closer to home. Maybe a meat pie from 7-Eleven? Perhaps something deep fried? The important thing is to act like an Australian from Australia doing typical Australian things. You might be able to get away with a souvlaki, but we wouldn’t risk it.
Drinking
We know you’re a great fan of beer of all types and from all countries but maybe this weekend you should stick to something closer to home. Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter should be safe (although their foreign ownership may get more attention than you like) or you could try wine from one of the many great Australian wineries. Consider going to an English pub, because as we all know, English people never overstay their visas.
In the end, whatever you do, we wish you the best of luck in keeping your privacy this weekend.
The City Lane team.