Coalition would toughen scrutiny of migrants' 'values' and wants new assessment of those from Gaza

A Taylor government would make conformity with Australian values legally binding for immigrants, and make non-citizens wait longer for access to the social security system.

Outlining the first instalment of the Coalition's long-awaited tougher approach to immigration, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on Tuesday also said the 1700 who came to Australia from Gaza after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict presented a high risk and "must be re-assessed entirely with far greater scrutiny".

Taylor said in a Tuesday speech to the Menzies Research Centre that was attended by former prime minister John Howard: "We must dispense with the naive thinking that has dominated our immigration policy fo too long. Our nation has paid the price for believing that anyone, from anywhere, will embrace our way of life.

"Not everyone wanting to migrate to Australia has a noble intent. Not everyone wanting to migrate to Australia will be a net benefit to Australia - indeed, many will be a net drain.

"Not everyone wanting to migrate to Australia will integrate or assimilate."

Taylor said there were three pillars for policy to lift immigration standards.

"First, putting Australian values first. Second, shutting the door to people who abuse our immigration system. And third, showing a red light to radicals."

He said a Liberal government would make Australian values central to migration law "by enshrining compliance with the Australian Values Statement as a universal visa condition under the Migration Regulations 1994."

It would codify breaches of the Australian Values Statement as ground for failing the Character Test and "being booted out of the country."

A Liberal government would introduce a "safe countries list" to enable unfounded protection claims by people from these countries to be fast-tracked.

It would also restore Temporary Protection Visas and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas as the main form of onshore protection visas.

There would be more money for law enforcement to identify and remove unlawful non-citizens, and taxpayer funding for legal aid appeals against visa applications would be stopped.

Taylor said stronger screening processes to stop extremists from entering Australia would "put up a red light to radicals".

Social media screening for visa applicants would become a standard feature rather then being on an "as needed risk basis".

Taylor said that for some applicants for visa's signing the Australian Values Statement, had become "a tick-box exercise without any intent to comply with those values."

"They are taking us for a ride.

"We will establish a prescribed set of behaviours that constitute a breach of Australian values. With this stronger rule book, there will be no more ambiguity in courts and tribunals.

"In short, if a visa holder undermines our democratic values, doesn't respect the law, or demonstrates they don't respect our core values, they will be booted out of Australia."

He said present policy had opened the door to people "who, while rejecting hate and violence, nevertheless still reject our core values.

"People who don't believe in equal rights for men and women. People who don't believe in the rule of law and want to establish parallel legal systems.

"People who don't believe in freedom of speech, association, and religion. For too long, we've turned a blind eye to a reality of immigration and integration.

"Those who migrate from liberal democracies have a greater likelihood of subscribing to Australian values compared to those migrating from places ruled by fundamentalists, extremists, and dictators.

"In that vein, the Gazan cohort of 1,700 people here on visas presents a high-risk to our nation. That cohort must be re-assessed entirely with far greater scrutiny."

TheConversation.com

Author: Michelle Grattan - Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

https://theconversation.com/coalition-would-toughen-scrutiny-of-migrants-values-and-wants-new-assessment-of-those-from-gaza-280462