Migrants from Gaza and Somalia among those to be banned from Australia under unreleased Liberal plan | Australian immigration and asylum

Migrants from parts of 13 countries including Gaza, Afghanistan and Somalia will be banned from entering Australia under a leaked tough Liberal immigration plan.

Guardian Australia understands the banned areas outlined in the policy, designed before Sussan Ley was ousted as party leader on Friday, are based on areas where listed terrorist organizations have territorial control.

The 37 specific regions under the proposed ban are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Philippines, Somalia and Yemen.

Guardian Australia has been told Paul Scarr, the shadow immigration minister under Ley, did not recommend the country’s ban and expressed serious concerns about it. It is understood that no specific proposal was made to the shadow cabinet before the leadership coup and that new opposition leader Angus Taylor did not see the plan.

The Liberals’ proposal also aims to remove up to 100,000 asylum seekers and international students from Australia more quickly. Visa holders’ rights to appeal immigration decisions may be restricted and they may be prevented from switching to other visas.

_{Sign up: AÜ Breaking News email}

Ley had planned to publish the policy in December but it was postponed due to the Bondi terrorist attack. He then planned to release it on February 16 and spend this week pressuring the government on it before losing the Liberal leadership to Taylor.

This is understood to include strict scrutiny of social media posts and other public comments about potential immigrants. It was designed to weed out people with extreme views and reduce the number of international student visas and permanent immigration.

As of January 31, 50,686 appeals of student visa decisions, denials, or cancellations had been filed with the administrative review tribunal (ART). There were also: More than 48,000 rejected asylum seekers who appealed their visa refusal by the home affairs department through ART.

ART announced that half of all protection visa reviews completed between July 1 and December 31, 2025 were completed within three years and six months, and 95% were completed within five years and five months.

In his first speech in office, Taylor stated that immigration was a key priority under his leadership and said: “The numbers are too high, the standards are too low.”

“If people who don’t believe in democracy, who don’t believe in the rule of law and who don’t believe in our fundamental freedoms want to come to this country, that’s a problem and it’s unacceptable,” he told reporters on Friday.

“The reality is that some people don’t want to change to align with our core values.”

A senior Liberal MP told Guardian Australia they expected Taylor to “toughen” the party’s rhetoric on immigration and further strengthen Ley’s plan.

It is understood Ley plans to reduce permanent visas, student visas and net overseas migration numbers.

The senior Liberal told Guardian Australia net overseas migration could be reduced to between 160,000 and 220,000. They said there had been discussions in the party since the election about whether to include a range or a specific number.

This range is understood to take into account the work of researchers who were asked by the immigration agency to estimate the level of net overseas migration needed to “optimize the growth rate of GDP per capita” and combat an aging population.

The government has set the permanent migration program for 2025-26 at 185,000, while net overseas migration is expected to reach 260,000 in the same financial year. This was a significant decline from post-Covid-19 levels.

The Liberal plan also appears to include: principle Screening and vetting potential visa applicants entering Australia by looking at social media or other public statements.

Under changes to the Immigration Act following the Bondi attack, powers to refuse and cancel visas if a person endorses or publishes statements that spread hate have been strengthened. The Liberals’ plan would go even further.

Shadow immigration minister Paul Scarr was not expected to return to office following Taylor’s replacement. It was not clear who would receive the portfolio.

Taylor is expected to announce his new-look shadow cabinet in the coming days, while moderate Tim Wilson is expected to be appointed shadow treasurer.