Labor to temporarily ban Iranian visitors from travelling to Australia over visa concerns
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The news: Labor will temporarily ban Iranians citizens from travelling to Australia from Thursday this week, over concerns that they may not be able to depart the country when their visas expire.
The context: In a statement released Wednesday evening, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Tony Burke, said the suspension will be in force for six months under legislation passed earlier this month.
The controls will only apply to people outside of Australia who have an Australian subclass 600 visitor visa linked to an Iranian passport, but will not apply to Iranians who are already in Australia.
Labor said the measure gives the government time to assess the situation properly, while still allowing flexibility in limited cases.
Responding to the decision, the Greens described the move as “brutal and unfair” and was “designed to ensure none of them can make an onshore claim for protection like members of the Iranian women’s football team.” The party argues there are currently around 7,200 Iranians who hold temporary visas but have not yet arrived in Australia.
What they said: “There are many visitor visas which were issued before the conflict in Iran which may not have been issued if they were applied for now,” Burke said in a statement.
“Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the Government, not a random consequence of who had booked a holiday. The Australian Government is closely monitoring global developments and will adjust settings as required to ensure Australia’s migration system remains orderly, fair and sustainable.”
Greens Senator David Shoesbridge said: “The Labor Party cynically used the plight of everyday Iranians to justify their support for this latest US forever war, and it has now dropped them when they are no longer of ‘use’.”
The sources: Tony Burke statement, The Greens statement
