Post by Willow on Jun 16, 2016 11:26:40 GMT 9.5
Federal election 2016: Rudd-Gillard asylum-seekers to get visas
Bill Shorten is poised to soften Australia’s border protection policies by granting permanent residency to nearly 30,000 asylum-seekers eligible who arrived by boat under the former Labor government.
The move is the most significant departure made by the Opposition Leader from the tough border protection policies introduced by the Coalition under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott with Labor set to scrap Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs).
This would see Labor providing its own legacy caseload of asylum-seekers with a clear pathway to permanent residency with Mr Shorten also holding out the prospect of making changes to Operation Sovereign Borders.
However, Labor has hit back at claims that the move on TPVs represents a departure, pointing out that this position was adopted at its national conference in 2015.
“This is not new. Labor has made it very clear it will retain a joint policy of offshore processing and turnbacks,” said a Labor campaign spokeswoman. “TPVs only apply to those already in Australia.”
The formal Labor party platform as determined last year says: “Labor will abolish TPVs which keep people in a permanent state of limbo. Labor will commit to processing people as quickly as possible and placing those found to be genuine refugees on permanent protection visas.”
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told The Daily Telegraphthat TPVs were a key element of any strong border protection policy and their removal would provide an incentive to people-smugglers to revive their illegal trade.
“Shorten Labor is showing all the signs of recklessness that saw 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals breach our borders under Rudd and Gillard Labor,” Mr Dutton said.
“Abolition of TPVs reveals Bill Shorten’s weak border policies. It sends a dangerous signal to people smugglers that they’re back in business with a product to sell permanent settlement in Australia.”
The changes come as Mr Shorten is confronted with a bitter internal revolt against his plan to continue the practice of boat turnbacks with up to 50 candidates standing at the July 2 election having opposed stronger border protection measures.
In late 2014, when Scott Morrison was immigration minister, the government revived Howard era Temporary Protection Visas in a bid to clear the backlog of up to 30,000 asylum-seekers who arrived before the last election.
The Senate passed the measure with the support of the Palmer United Party as well as Family First’s Bob Day, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Ricky Muir from the Motoring Enthusiast Party.
In return, the government agreed to lift the refugee intake by 7500 places over four years, allow asylum-seekers on bridging visas the right to work and remove all children from detention on Christmas Island.
Bill Shorten is poised to soften Australia’s border protection policies by granting permanent residency to nearly 30,000 asylum-seekers eligible who arrived by boat under the former Labor government.
The move is the most significant departure made by the Opposition Leader from the tough border protection policies introduced by the Coalition under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott with Labor set to scrap Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs).
This would see Labor providing its own legacy caseload of asylum-seekers with a clear pathway to permanent residency with Mr Shorten also holding out the prospect of making changes to Operation Sovereign Borders.
However, Labor has hit back at claims that the move on TPVs represents a departure, pointing out that this position was adopted at its national conference in 2015.
“This is not new. Labor has made it very clear it will retain a joint policy of offshore processing and turnbacks,” said a Labor campaign spokeswoman. “TPVs only apply to those already in Australia.”
The formal Labor party platform as determined last year says: “Labor will abolish TPVs which keep people in a permanent state of limbo. Labor will commit to processing people as quickly as possible and placing those found to be genuine refugees on permanent protection visas.”
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told The Daily Telegraphthat TPVs were a key element of any strong border protection policy and their removal would provide an incentive to people-smugglers to revive their illegal trade.
“Shorten Labor is showing all the signs of recklessness that saw 50,000 illegal maritime arrivals breach our borders under Rudd and Gillard Labor,” Mr Dutton said.
“Abolition of TPVs reveals Bill Shorten’s weak border policies. It sends a dangerous signal to people smugglers that they’re back in business with a product to sell permanent settlement in Australia.”
The changes come as Mr Shorten is confronted with a bitter internal revolt against his plan to continue the practice of boat turnbacks with up to 50 candidates standing at the July 2 election having opposed stronger border protection measures.
In late 2014, when Scott Morrison was immigration minister, the government revived Howard era Temporary Protection Visas in a bid to clear the backlog of up to 30,000 asylum-seekers who arrived before the last election.
The Senate passed the measure with the support of the Palmer United Party as well as Family First’s Bob Day, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Ricky Muir from the Motoring Enthusiast Party.
In return, the government agreed to lift the refugee intake by 7500 places over four years, allow asylum-seekers on bridging visas the right to work and remove all children from detention on Christmas Island.