Over 40 people seek right to stay in Australia after Commonwealth Games

Over three dozen people – including athletes and journalists – have inquired about staying in Australia after the end of the Commonwealth Games, according to a migration agency on the Gold Coast.

“More than 40 people, including Commonwealth Games athletes, journalists and others have come in over the last 10 days looking for visas they can apply for and how they can stay in Australia,” Jim MacAnally, an office administrator for Ready Migration, told CNN.

MacAnally confirmed that inquiries had come from a range of different nations, including several from African delegations.

The athletes’ visas expire on May 15, a month after the Games concludes, and cases of disappearances have already hit the headlines.

he Cameroonian team lost a third of its members in the first week on the Gold Coast.

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg addresses media after the latest disappearances in the Gold Coast.

A further three athletes were reported missing from the athletes village on Thursday, in addition to the news on Wednesday that eight Cameroonian athletes have disappeared over the course of the Games.

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg confirmed in a statement that Australian authorities are currently searching for “one Rwandan and two Ugandan accredited delegates not present in the village.”

It takes the total number of missing athletes up to 11, after the Cameroonian team lost a third of its members in the first week on the Gold Coast.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Grevemberg dismissed reports of further disappearances as “speculative”, after Australian media reported that a member of the Ghanaian delegation and two from Sierra Leone had also gone missing.

“There is a lot of speculation. Until it becomes a true issue and it is established they have outstayed their visas or formerly applied for asylum, we will monitor the situation,” he said.

It’s not known if any of those 11 missing athletes have approached Ready Migration.

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On Wednesday, Cameroon’s team attache Simon Molombe told CNN Sport he did not expect the missing athletes to return: “I don’t think they will be back,” he said.

There is a track record for athletes and officials disappearing in Australia during international sporting competitions, with 25 delegates going missing at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and 80 athletes and officials outstaying their visas at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Uganda have a team of 70 participating in the Games, and have won two golds and one bronze medal , while Rwanda’s team comprises just 17 athletes and are yet to reach the podium.

Australia's stunning Gold Coast will stage the 2018 Comonwealth Games from April 4-15. Here are the venues that will host the event on the country's East coast.

Carrara Stadium —

The heartbeat of this year's Commonwealth Games is the Carrara Stadium and its capacity has been boosted from 27,500 to 40,000. the venue will host track and field events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. The arena is home to AFL team the Gold Coast Suns.

Coolangatta beach —

Views don't get much better than the dazzling Coolangatta beach, which will morph into the beach volleyball arena for the Commonwealth Games. Up to 4,000 will pack onto the shores of the Gold Coast for the action.

Townsville Entertainment and Convention Center —

Australia is renowned for its sunny beaches and crystal seas, and Townsville, one of the three host locations outside the Gold Coast, is no exception. Close to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, the Queensland city will host basketball fixtures at this year's Games.

Cairns Convention Center —

Basketball heats will also take place in Cairns. The Center here has a capacity of 5,000.

Optus Aquatic Center —

Stunning sands will be easy to find for fans in Australia, which is hosting its sixth Commonwealth Games. Down on the seafront is the Optus Aquatic Center, where spectators can catch diving and swimming events.

Southport Broadwater Parklands —

This park will host the triathlon, where England's Brownlee brothers will look to defend their one-two secured in Glasgow in 2014.

Robina Stadium —

Home to the NRL's Gold Coast Titans, the 27,500-seat stadium will play host the rugby sevens. South Africa won in 2014, the first time a team other than New Zealand lifted the trophy. A women's competition will take place for the first time ever this year.

Oxenford Studios —

Better known as the set of a blockbuster movie, these Gold Coast studios will be transformed into venues for table tennis and boxing with a capacity of 3,000.

Gold Coast Hockey Center —

Situated in Labrador's Keith Hunt Park, this year's hockey venue has the luxury of two new, synthetic pitches. Australia has historically dominated this event, with the men triumphing every year since the sport's Commonwealth inception in 1998 and only an India victory in 2002 tarnishing the women's record.

Anna Meares Velodrome —

Track cycling will be held in Brisbane at this 4,000-seat, $59-million venue, named after the retired Australian athlete who won two Olympic and five Commonwealth titles. The other Brisbane site of the Games is the Belmont Shooting Center.

Nerang Mountain Bike Trails —

A year-long project throughout 2016 helped revamp the trails and facilities of the Nerang National Park in preparation for the mountain bike competition.

Broadbeach Bowls Club —

Bowls has a long tradition at the Commonwealth Games, dating back to the inaugural British Empire Games -- as it was then called -- in 1930. The 2018 event will be held in a spruced-up venue next to the sea.

Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre —

Weightlifting, badminton, powerlifting and wrestling will all be hosted in the shadow of the Carrara Stadium.

Coomera Indoor Sports Centre —

The Coomera Indoor Sports Center is the largest purpose-built arena that the 2018 Commonwealth Games has to offer. The 7,500-capacity venue will host gymnastics and netball.

Currumbin beachfront —

Road cycling and race walking will start and finish on the picturesque Currumbin Bay. Pictured is a test event of the Cycling Road Race.

Take a tour of the Commonwealth Games 2018 venues

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In January, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned athletes who were planning to attend the games they needed to follow the country’s laws.

“Our message to the half a percent of people who might think that they can overstay a visa or not act within the conditions of their visa is that Australia has very tough laws and they need to abide by the law,” he said in Canberra on January 30.

CNN’s Stella Ko in Hong Kong and Aimee Lewis in the Gold Cost contributed to this report