Labor is toughening immigration laws to stop people from some countries travelling to Australia on some temporary visas and seeking to stay permanently because of the Middle East war.
The assistant citizenship minister, Julian Hill, introduced urgent amendments on Tuesday, hours after home affairs minister, Tony Burke, facilitated asylum applications from members of the Iranian women’s football team.
Under the proposal, Burke could issue an “arrival control determination” to prevent temporary visa holders from certain regions visiting Australia where global circumstances change in order to “protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia’s immigration system”.
The law, if passed, could be used to prevent Iranian tourists from travelling to Australia if their visa was issued before the US and Israel attacked Tehran, and where there is a concern they might overstay their visa or apply for protection while in Australia.
The bill itself does not specifically name a country, but a briefing document circulated to MPs and senators references the situation in the Middle East.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
Labor has described the changes as closing loopholes in current immigration laws and says guard rails will be included in the new rules.
The home affairs minister would have new powers to make an “arrival control determination” only after written agreement from the prime minister and the minister in charge of immigration.
On Tuesday, Hill said: “At any point in time, there are many temporary visa holders outside Australia holding a temporary right of entry to Australia, granted to support travel for a genuinely temporary purpose, like a holiday or attending a conference.”
“The current situation in the Middle East demonstrates how quickly circumstances can change that may impact whether those temporary visa holders could fulfil that temporary purpose in Australia, including whether they would leave Australia? Should they travel here?
“In these circumstances, it is vital that government can respond appropriately, including by placing temporary limitations on the ability of certain cohorts and non citizens from travelling to Australia without legislative change.”
The shadow foreign minister, Ted O’Brien, told parliament the Coalition supported the bill in principle.
Ahead of a Senate inquiry on Tuesday night, O’Brien said he did not see “any major hurdles” to passing the new law.
“This bill contains reasonable measures to strengthen the integrity of Australia’s migration system,” he said.
“These powers are designed to protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia’s migration system, particularly where international events increase the risk of visa over stays.”
The independent member for Clark, Andrew Wilkie, said he wanted his objection to the bill registered in Hansard.
Burke confirmed early on Tuesday morning five asylum applications from members of the Iranian women’s football team.
Burke said the visas had been granted at about 1.30am on Tuesday morning, around the time of Trump’s social media posts, which first criticised, then praised, Australia.
“They are welcome to stay in Australia,” Burke told an early morning press conference in Brisbane. “They are safe here, and they should feel at home here.
“I say to the other members of the team: the same opportunity is there. Australia has taken the Iranian women’s soccer team into our hearts.
“These women are tremendously popular in Australia, but we realise they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making. But the opportunity will continue to be there to speak to Australian officials if they wish to.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theguardian.com
