Gone walkabout
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.We thought that this sort of thing went out with the Cold War. Back in those days, the Olympics were not the Olympics without the odd Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler and Cuban fencing team in its entirety fleeing their minders and turning up in the local police station to ask for political asylum - unless of course the Games were taking place in Moscow.
We thought that this sort of thing went out with the Cold War. Back in those days, the Olympics were not the Olympics without the odd Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler and Cuban fencing team in its entirety fleeing their minders and turning up in the local police station to ask for political asylum - unless of course the Games were taking place in Moscow.
But the defection bug has now clearly spread to more fortunate lands. The Sydney Olympics have produced a predictable crop of 30 applicants from developing countries for refugee status. It emerges, however, that 108 participants from 61 countries have also overstayed their visas and gone absent without leave. These missing persons include eight Britons, 11 Americans, as well as Japanese and Germans.
So what's happened? Maybe they have been swept away by the undeniable charms of Oz. Maybe they simply performed so badly in the Games that they are embarrassed to come home. Either way, we doubt the same thing will happen if Beijing gets to host the Games in a few years.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments