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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Scott Morrison asked Asio to delay asylum seekers' visa checks, papers show | Scott Morrison asked Asio to delay asylum seekers' visa checks, papers show |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| As immigration minister he sought legal ways to stop boat arrivals from ever gaining permanent protection | As immigration minister he sought legal ways to stop boat arrivals from ever gaining permanent protection |
| Gareth Hutchens and | Gareth Hutchens and |
| Ben Doherty | Ben Doherty |
| Tue 30 Jan 2018 00.29 GMT | Tue 30 Jan 2018 00.29 GMT |
| First published on Tue 30 Jan 2018 00.07 GMT | First published on Tue 30 Jan 2018 00.07 GMT |
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| Malcolm Turnbull has defended Scott Morrison’s tenure as immigration minister, and said the Coalition makes no apologies for taking a tough approach to people smugglers. | |
| The prime minister dismissed leaked cabinet documents that show that Morrison, as immigration minister after the 2013 election, asked Asio to delay security checks of asylum seekers to prevent them being granted permanent protection visas. | |
| “When he was the minister for immigration and border protection he stopped the boats. He did an outstanding job in securing our borders,” Turnbull said. | |
| “We make no apologies for sending the clearest message to the people smugglers and to their would-be customers: ‘You think you can come to Australia on a people smuggler’s boat? You’re wrong. You won’t.’ ” | |
| The documents, first reported by the ABC, show that in the first month of the Abbott government – after it had campaigned hard in opposition to “stop the boats” – Morrison asked his department to advise what legal avenues were available to prevent asylum seekers who had arrived by boat from ever being awarded permanent protection. | |
| Morrison was told there were 70 asylum seekers who had no health, character or security checks outstanding, with only pre-grant checks to be completed, and “this group is the highest risk of requiring a permanent grant”. | Morrison was told there were 70 asylum seekers who had no health, character or security checks outstanding, with only pre-grant checks to be completed, and “this group is the highest risk of requiring a permanent grant”. |
| A further 620 people had had most of their checks completed and were also likely to be awarded a permanent grant, pushing the number of high priority asylum seekers towards 700. | A further 620 people had had most of their checks completed and were also likely to be awarded a permanent grant, pushing the number of high priority asylum seekers towards 700. |
| “Under section 65 of the act, if a person has made a valid visa application and met all the relevant prescribed criteria for the visa, you or your delegate ‘must’ grant them the visa,” the department told Morrison. | “Under section 65 of the act, if a person has made a valid visa application and met all the relevant prescribed criteria for the visa, you or your delegate ‘must’ grant them the visa,” the department told Morrison. |
| “This means the department is required to grant a permanent protection visa to irregular maritime arrivals who have been found to be owed Australia’s protection and who have met all the other prescribed criteria of that visa if no temporary protection visa option exists at that time.” | “This means the department is required to grant a permanent protection visa to irregular maritime arrivals who have been found to be owed Australia’s protection and who have met all the other prescribed criteria of that visa if no temporary protection visa option exists at that time.” |
| Knowing Morrison would be unhappy to hear that some asylum seekers who had arrived by boat were likely to be found to be owed Australia’s protection, the department advised him that “strategies” had been put in place to reduce the likelihood that permanent protection visas would be granted. | Knowing Morrison would be unhappy to hear that some asylum seekers who had arrived by boat were likely to be found to be owed Australia’s protection, the department advised him that “strategies” had been put in place to reduce the likelihood that permanent protection visas would be granted. |
| One involved writing to the head of Asio to ask it to delay final security checks of asylum seekers who had arrived by boat. | One involved writing to the head of Asio to ask it to delay final security checks of asylum seekers who had arrived by boat. |
| If Asio slowed its security checks, it would impede the progress of the asylum seekers who were close to being granted permanent protection visas. | If Asio slowed its security checks, it would impede the progress of the asylum seekers who were close to being granted permanent protection visas. |
| This would give the government time to reintroduce temporary protection visas for all asylum seekers who had arrived by boat, and to add a “time of decision criterion” to all applications for permanent protection visas from “unauthorised arrivals” so they could be considered only for temporary protection visas. | This would give the government time to reintroduce temporary protection visas for all asylum seekers who had arrived by boat, and to add a “time of decision criterion” to all applications for permanent protection visas from “unauthorised arrivals” so they could be considered only for temporary protection visas. |
| It would help to ensure that the 700 asylum seekers who were close to being granted permanent protection visas would miss the required deadline, and instead be given three-year temporary protection visas. | It would help to ensure that the 700 asylum seekers who were close to being granted permanent protection visas would miss the required deadline, and instead be given three-year temporary protection visas. |
| It would help the government stop any asylum seekers who had arrived by boat from ever living in Australia permanently. | It would help the government stop any asylum seekers who had arrived by boat from ever living in Australia permanently. |
| The department told Morrison that Asio did not have to comply with the request but a request had been made anyway. | The department told Morrison that Asio did not have to comply with the request but a request had been made anyway. |
| Morrison approved the plan. It is unclear if Asio agreed to the request. | Morrison approved the plan. It is unclear if Asio agreed to the request. |
| Morrison said on Monday: “It was my policy and practice to put Australia’s national security interests first.” | Morrison said on Monday: “It was my policy and practice to put Australia’s national security interests first.” |
| The cabinet documents also show the department advised Morrison to issue an order to the refugee review tribunal and the administrative appeals tribunal to hear cases for protection visas in a specific order. | The cabinet documents also show the department advised Morrison to issue an order to the refugee review tribunal and the administrative appeals tribunal to hear cases for protection visas in a specific order. |
| “[This] will reduce the number of irregular maritime arrivals potentially becoming grant-ready,” the department advised. | “[This] will reduce the number of irregular maritime arrivals potentially becoming grant-ready,” the department advised. |
| “In effect, this direction requires the department to consider non-irregular maritime arrivals first when assessing claims and processing visa applications. | “In effect, this direction requires the department to consider non-irregular maritime arrivals first when assessing claims and processing visa applications. |
| Morrison approved the overall plan. | Morrison approved the overall plan. |
| The delaying of granting protection to boat-borne asylum seekers has been mirrored by other areas of the department, including in the granting of citizenship. | The delaying of granting protection to boat-borne asylum seekers has been mirrored by other areas of the department, including in the granting of citizenship. |
| In December 2016 the federal court found the government had acted illegally in deliberately delaying the conferral of citizenship on permanent residents who had come to Australia by boat as refugees, even when they had met all criteria. | In December 2016 the federal court found the government had acted illegally in deliberately delaying the conferral of citizenship on permanent residents who had come to Australia by boat as refugees, even when they had met all criteria. |
| The court revealed that the immigration department had an “undocumented arrival drawer” – either physical or metaphorical – where citizenship applications from people who had arrived in the country by boat were put and ignored, sometimes for years. | The court revealed that the immigration department had an “undocumented arrival drawer” – either physical or metaphorical – where citizenship applications from people who had arrived in the country by boat were put and ignored, sometimes for years. |
| More than 10,000 refugees who were entitled to citizenship were denied it. Some were even sent letters confirming a conferral ceremony, but told the night before by text message the ceremony had been cancelled. | More than 10,000 refugees who were entitled to citizenship were denied it. Some were even sent letters confirming a conferral ceremony, but told the night before by text message the ceremony had been cancelled. |
| The court found “applications were simply left aside and forgotten” and ordered the government to properly process the applications. | The court found “applications were simply left aside and forgotten” and ordered the government to properly process the applications. |
| Turnbull said the leaked cabinet document was more than four years old. | |
| “Can I just say that Scott Morrison is doing an outstanding job as treasurer,” he said. | “Can I just say that Scott Morrison is doing an outstanding job as treasurer,” he said. |
| “This is a long time ago and it’s a document I’ve never seen … I don’t know how it’s emerged from the ABC. I’d suggest, I think they’ve come across someone’s bottom drawer in Canberra it sounds like, given the date of all these papers.” | “This is a long time ago and it’s a document I’ve never seen … I don’t know how it’s emerged from the ABC. I’d suggest, I think they’ve come across someone’s bottom drawer in Canberra it sounds like, given the date of all these papers.” |
| Amnesty International Australia’s refugees coordinator, Graham Thom, said the revelations were another example of Australia’s cruel and punitive approach to people arriving by boat seeking protection. | |
| He was particularly concerned by the apparent attempt to co-opt Asio into prosecuting a politicised agenda of temporary protection, despite the immigration department telling the minister the refugees affected were entitled to permanent protection. | |
| “The government needs to explain why these measures were taken and why it is appropriate that Australia’s security agency, Asio, was being used in this way,” he said. | |
| “Now that the home affairs department has been established, giving the current minister Peter Dutton carriage of both immigration and Asio, minister Dutton should rule out using Asio as a pawn in the implementation of his cruel immigration policies.” | |
| with AAP | |
| Scott Morrison | Scott Morrison |
| Australian immigration and asylum | Australian immigration and asylum |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
| Refugees | Refugees |
| news | news |
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