One's a convicted rapist. The other tried to slash his ex's throat. But BOTH have now been allowed to stay in Australia after a bid to deport them FAILED

By WAYNE FLOWER, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 14:17, 18 April 2026 | Updated: 14:17, 18 April 2026 A convicted rapist and violent, woman-bashing thug have had the welcome mat rolled back out by Australian authorities against the government's own wishes.  An Iranian, known only as GFKG, 36, and who has lived here for 14 years, was spared deportation after being convicted of a family violence rampage in Thomastown, Victoria in January 2020. An Ethiopian national, known as BYMD, 44, and who arrived on a humanitarian visa 26 years ago, was also given the green light to remain in Australia despite a rap sheet spanning decades. The decisions were both handed down this month by the Administrative Review Tribunal after it overturned Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship Tony Burke's order to deport the pair.  Daily Mail can reveal GFKG had been sentenced in the County Court of Victoria to six years and one month in jail for aggravated burglary, intentionally causing injury and making a threat to kill.  In a terrifying attack in front of the couple's three-year-old daughter, GFKG smashed his way into his ex-partner's home, assaulted her new boyfriend, smashed her head against a door, and screamed: 'I will kill you. You dating an Afghani man, I will kill you tonight.' He then waved broken glass, slashing her arm. Despite the premeditated horror - and the fact it breached existing family violence orders - the tribunal set aside the Immigration Minister's decision to refuse his permanent visa, allowing him to stay. Two convicted criminals have been allowed to stay in the country after a failed deportation bid. Pictured are protesters blocking an entrance to the Melbourne Immigration Transit Centre in Broadmeadows in 2022 BYMD was allowed to remain in Australia despite his shocking criminal history.   The tribunal heard his most shocking crimes included two counts of rape and five counts of indecent assault committed in 2007, for which he was jailed for five years and seven months.  The court heard he attacked a woman in a share house, ignoring her repeated 'no' pleas while making vile comments about being entitled to sex. He was also convicted of a further sexual assault in 2020 - grabbing a victim's genitals despite her resistance - plus a string of earlier offences including robbery, unlawful assault, theft, and family violence. The tribunal accepted the crimes were 'very serious' but ruled BYMD was no longer a danger to the community because of his mental health treatment and time since the last offence. Both men had their visas refused or cancelled under the character test because of their serious criminal records. Immigration officials wanted them gone, but the tribunal disagreed. In shocking testimony accepted by the tribunal, GFKG's latest partner claimed the violent thug had now learnt his lesson.  Signage is seen along the perimeter fence of the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation complex in Broadmeadows 'He also maintains very high standards of hygiene and self‑care. His room is always clean, his bed is made daily, he washes his clothes regularly, and he takes pride in his grooming, maintaining a tidy beard and cutting his own hair,' she told the tribunal.   The decisions come as Australians grow increasingly frustrated with cases where serious offenders from overseas are allowed to stay while law-abiding citizens face rising crime. Just days ago it was revealed a UK national jailed in Western Australia for molesting a nine-year-old girl had his visa reinstated by the tribunal due to his 'ill health' and 'strong ties' to Australia.  The man was sentenced to 14 months in prison in 2024 for sexually abusing the girl in the presence of another young child. The man, who lives in Perth, successfully appealed the automatic cancellation of his permanent visa at the tribunal last year. The decision was made under Ministerial Direction 110 - a rule introduced by the government to toughen the visa cancellation appeals process, after the old direction allowed dozens of serious criminals to avoid deportation. In that case, the mother of the victim told the ABC she was horrified to learn he had avoided deportation. '[We were] completely let down, completely betrayed,' she said. Iran (pictured) is in the process of being bombed 'back to the Stone Ages' by the United States  'His needs were put before the victim's, before the community … why are we giving priority to an abuser over Australian child victims of sexual abuse?' The woman wrote to Mr Burke on three occasions, pleading he deport the man 'in the public interest'. The Department of Home Affairs responded to her earlier this year on behalf of the immigration minister, advising that his personal powers were 'non-compellable'. 'That is, the ministers are not required to exercise their power,' the letter stated. In 2024, the ART replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal as the body that reviewed decisions by government agencies in relation to issues like immigration. It followed the federal government coming under significant pressure when it was revealed a ministerial direction allowed several foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes to escape deportation. Then-immigration minister Andrew Giles introduced a new set of guidelines, which placed the protection of the Australian community as the 'highest priority in decision-making'. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.