Liberals vow to boot migrants who breach Aussie values
If the coalition returns to power, immigrants who do not demonstrate a belief in “fair dealing” for all could be expelled from Australia.
As One Nation leader Pauline Hanson breathes out, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor will unveil the first part of the coalition’s hard-line immigration plan in a speech to the Liberal-leaning think tank Menzies Research Center on Tuesday.
Mr Taylor wants to further examine people trying to come to Australia from countries that are not Western liberal democracies, without putting a figure on the immigration intake target he will pursue in government.
Three key measures aim to “reduce the numbers and raise the standards” of Australia’s migration programme.
These include putting “Australian values” at the heart of immigration laws, closing the door on unauthorized immigrants trying to game the asylum system and “shining a red light on radicals” by strengthening screening processes.
According to an extract from the speech, Mr Taylor will say that while Australia should not discriminate on the basis of nationality, race, sex or belief, it should start rejecting some potential immigrants based on values.
“Immigrants from liberal democracies are more likely to have a commitment to Australian values than those immigrating from places ruled by fundamentalists, extremists and dictators,” he will say.
“In this regard, allowing Gazans to enter Australia after the October 7 attacks poses a clear risk for our country.
“They come to our country from a society ruled by the barbaric Islamist terrorist organization Hamas, which aims to brainwash and radicalize its entire population into accepting fanatic violence, especially the genocidal massacre of Jews, as normal.
“This group needs to be re-evaluated much more carefully.”
Compliance with the Australian values statement will be enshrined in law and a set of specified behaviors that constitute a breach of Australian values will be identified.
“In short, if a visa holder undermines our democratic values, fails to respect the law or demonstrates a lack of respect for our fundamental values, they will be deported from Australia,” Mr Taylor will say.
The Australian values statement is a document that outlines the values that potential immigrants are currently required to sign when applying for a visa and that they are expected to live by.
These include respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, adherence to the rule of law, recognition of English as the national language, and “fair dealing” for all who embrace mutual respect, tolerance, compassion and equality of opportunity.
A spokesman for the opposition leader said the government would detail what behavior would constitute a breach of these values and be grounds for deportation.
Mr Taylor will also pledge to bring back temporary protection visas after the government moves people seeking asylum to a more permanent visa class.
This will aim to reduce “fraud” in the immigration system and discourage overstaying.
The coalition will also establish a joint agency task force to expel extremists who take advantage of the “appeals merry-go-round.”
Non-citizens will also no longer be able to access taxpayer-funded legal aid to challenge cancellations.
Mr Taylor also promised to establish an advanced screening coordination center to detect and intercept “terrorist sympathizers and security risks” before they enter Australia.
The enhanced screening process will include forcing all applicants to provide their social media accounts when applying for a visa.
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