Colleen Green has been detained and deported by the Australian immigration office while trying to enter the country as a part of the tour. This follows the release of Colleen Green EP. The office had determined that she was lying about coming into the country to visit friends, which is a common practice that artists that are touring use in a foreign country, and made Green go through a process.
According to Stereogum, Green released statement on her Facebook account on the whole situation starting with “So as some of you have noticed, I am not on tour in Australia right now as was planned. I am back home in LA and since a lot of people are asking me what happened, I figured I’d just post about it right here and tell you all at once what has gone on over the past few emotional, exhausting, and tumultuous days. I’ll spare you the details and try to keep it brief and informational.”
The artist flew to Auckland, New Zealand then to Melbourne with just some luggage and a large rollie. The promoter of the Australian tour had already kept a visa and told her to say that she’s visiting friends. After the officers searched for the bags, they determined that the artist was lying and began the process of taking away her iPad, phone and passport and looking online for the tour. After that process there was interrogation, which the artist says “This alone took about 7 hours from the time I got off the plane. I was not allowed to leave the room and I was extremely hungry but all they had to offer me was McDonald’s and “biscuits” which I very politely refused. I was allowed 2 phone calls. Several different officers arrived and again tore through all of my belongings, which were then itemized, sealed and taken away from me. I was patted down and searched. I was escorted by the arms by two officers who led me to a van which was parked right out on the tarmac. After about a half hour of driving we arrived at a barracks which I learned was an immigration detention center. ”
After being fingerprinted and having her photo taken, the artist was given a meal of mash potatoes, corn and cantaloupe, escorted to take medication every four hours, and taken to a small room with a bunk bed and bathroom. Once again, the artist was patted and searched again to take a flight at 9:30. The statement ends with “This was actually pretty sick because I didn’t have to wait in any of those wack ass lines, and I also got to board the plane first, but I also felt like a totally busted criminal dummy, when all I had been trying to do was play music and see a new country. Anyway, this was supposed to be the short version, but a lot happened in those few days. Only after I got on my last plane from Auckland back to Los Angeles did I get my passport, iPad, and phone back. I returned, free but defeated, and took the Fly Away home.”
Green posted on Twitter earlier this weekend, indicating she never complained about the situation.
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