Peel Health Campus nurse Warren Marriner deported after Syrian mission

Warren Marriner said he thought there would be a reaction from the Australian Government when he flew to Syria earlier this year.

But what he did not expect was to be thrown out of the country for a minor cannabis conviction he received when he was 18.

Mr Marriner is a popular nurse who cared for patients at Peel Health Campus for eight years.

He has lived in Australia for the past 11 years and he has two brothers here, as well as four nieces.

He was upbeat when he spoke to the Weekend Courier from his brother’s home in Taranaki on the north island of New Zealand.

“A smile came to my face when I realised I was going back to New Zealand,” Mr Marriner said.

“I like the coolness here, I go outside and it tickles the memory bank.

“But I want my friends to know I love them all very much.”

Mr Marriner is a self-confessed communist, whose Facebook feed is littered with posts in support of anarchy and of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

He is in touch with the Social Justice Network and is exploring his legal options after he was detained by the Australian Government on November 5.

A spokesman from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection denied the visa cancellation came about because of Mr Marriner’s trip to Syria.

“The Department can cancel visas for a range of reasons including providing incorrect information to enter Australia, failing to disclose prior criminal convictions, failing to abide by visa conditions, presenting a risk to the community and engaging in criminal conduct.”

The Department spokesman said Mr Marriner was not a permanent resident of Australia.

Before he immigrated to Australia 11 years ago, Mr Marriner got a record of his conviction from the New Zealand police.

He also received a letter saying that he is not a threat to Australia. He was carrying this letter with him when he arrived back in Australia last week.

Mr Marriner said he went to Syria because he just liked helping people.

“I was a little bit shell shocked, I was kept at a detention centre in Perth for 2½ days which I found to be quite interesting.

“I rang the New Zealand consulate, but haven’t heard back from them.

“I just accepted it, but I was quite upset because I wanted to go back to Mandurah, Rockingham and my Peel Health Campus work colleagues who I love dearly.”

Mr Marriner said he intended to get a job as a nurse in New Zealand while he tried to come back to Australia.