The Albanese government will seek to amend the Migration Act to allow Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to prevent cohorts of current temporary visa holders from travelling to Australia where they may claim asylum as they shelter from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The opposition and crossbench senators have been briefed on the legislation set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, just hours after members of the Iranian women’s soccer team were granted humanitarian visas under threat of reprisal from their home country’s regime.
According to briefing documents seen by this masthead, the legislation would extend the ability of the minister to delay the arrival of individuals already granted temporary visas to entire “specified cohorts of non-citizens who hold temporary visas” for a renewable period of six months.
The purpose of the legislation is described as one that “respond[s] to developments overseas by limiting travel to Australia by specified cohorts of temporary visa holders, where it is in the national interest to do so”.
“The current situation in the Middle East demonstrates how quickly the circumstances can change for visa applicants and for those non-citizens who already hold a temporary visa but have not yet travelled to Australia, and for whom a visa application now, would likely be unsuccessful,” the document reads.
The majority of temporary visas in Australia are for tourism, but temporary visas are also issued for study and business.
The proposed personal power for the home affairs minister – called an “arrival control determination” – would require the written agreement from the prime minister and minister for foreign affairs.
It would come into play when a significant “event or circumstance” outside Australia could create a situation in which temporary visa holders would seek to remain in Australia after their visas expires, or where their visa may not previously have been granted.
Spouses, de facto partners and dependent children of an Australian citizen, as well as permanent visa holder cannot be delayed from coming to Australia under the proposed powers.
Burke will introduce the legislation after returning to Canberra from Brisbane, where he met with members of the Iranian women’s soccer team. The government is seeking to have the legislation passed before parliament rises for a week-long break on Thursday.
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Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
