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Australia seeks to reject visas of immigrants based on religion, race or travel

已有 320 次阅读2017-2-10 06:20 |个人分类:澳大利亚

Australia seeks 'Trump-style' powers to reject visas of ENTIRE groups of immigrants based on religion, race or travel history

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4205204/Australia-seeks-Trump-style-powers-reject-immigrants.html

Australia could introduce 'Trump-like' laws to reject visas of some immigrants
Amendments to the Migration Act could see entire religions being reviewed
Immigration Minister would have unprecedented powers to target groups
Labor is opposing the bill saying Australian needed to remain bi-partisan
Mr Dutton said the new measures were designed to be used in extreme cases
He named Ebola or the bird flu crisis as two examples to protect Australia

By Australian Associated Press and Freya Noble for Daily Mail Australia

8 February 2017 UPDATED: 9 February 2017

The Australian government has proposed new immigration laws that could subject people coming to Australia to stricter measures that may reject entire religions or races.

Labor has likened amendments to the Migration Act to U.S. President Donald Trump's temporary immigration ban on nationals from seven Muslim majority nations.

A section of the bill would give Immigration Minister Peter Dutton the power to require a 'specified class of persons' to undergo visa revalidation checks if it's in the public interest.

However Mr Dutton has responded to the reports, saying they would be put in place to protect Australia from threats such as the Ebola or bird flu crisis.

The government are trying to pass amendments to the Migration Act which would give Immigration Minister Peter Dutton (right) power to reject the visas of entire races or religions

That group could be identified based on whether they hold a particular passport, live in a particular state, province or country, may have travelled through a particular area or applied for a visa during certain dates.

Mr Dutton can then refuse to revalidate the visa if there is 'adverse information' relating to the person.

Labor's immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann said the Opposition couldn't support a bill that could see whole groups of people targeted on the basis of their place of birth, passport or religion.

'The measures ... will give the minister unfettered power to target whole groups of people for extra scrutiny and visa suspension through the revalidation process,' he told the Lower House on Wednesday.

That group could be identified based on whether they hold a particular passport, live in a particular country, or may have travelled through a particular area (stock image)

'Labor cannot give Trump-like powers to a minister who has such a high desire to see a divided Australia.'

Labor MP and counter-terrorism expert Anne Aly told Parliament's Lower House on Wednesday night it was not smart, prudent, nor effective to grant the minister 'disproportionate' powers to execute what is effectively 'travel bans' to a group of visa holders without necessary parliamentary oversight.

She said in times of growing discontent around the world, populist politics and immigration bans, Australia needed to be vigilant of the country's bipartisan commitment to a non-discriminatory immigration program.

President Donald Trump holds up signed executive orders to establish new vetting procedures for some people seeking to enter the U.S

Trump signs executive order on refugee travel ban'(The bill) could potentially ... exclude entire groups of people and visa holders on the basis of ethnicity or on the basis of country of origin or on the basis of some other tenuous characteristic without scrutiny and without accountability,' she said.

Mr Dutton, when introducing the bill last October, said the measure was being introduced to help manage the risks of a proposed new 10-year visitor visa.

Mr Dutton defended the bill, saying the new measures were designed to be used in extreme cases - such as an Ebola or bird flu crisis - to protect Australia's national interest.

He has criticised Labor for raising concerns only in the past day and not during a Senate inquiry last year or when his Opposition counterpart rang him on Sunday.

'I've seen some mendacious acts in my 15 years in parliament - this would be one of the most mendacious acts by a shadow minister desperate for attention,' he told ABC radio on Thursday.

Two other changes to the Act are also being debated, including one that will enable the use of contactless technology to clear travellers through Australia's SmartGate immigration clearance system.

Labor supports the other two amendments, but - unless they are split up - will vote against the bill as a whole.