The federal government is reportedly planning to introduce laws that ban anyone arriving to Australia by boat from ever settling in this country, regardless if they are found to be genuine refugees.
During a press conference about the ban a resolute Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the move would “send the strongest possible signal” to people smugglers.
“It will send the strongest possible signal to those who are seeking to persuade persons currently on Nauru and in Manus that the Australian government will change its policy and allow them to settle here,” Mr Turnbull said.
“We have one of the most generous humanitarian programs in the world. But the only reason we can do it, the only reason it has the public acceptance that it does, is because we are in command of our borders.
“(Immigration) Minister (Peter Dutton) and I are asking the Labor party and its leader, Mr Shorten, to support this legislation. It is entirely consistent with his party’s stated public position.”
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says that legislating the ban is “the clearest possible message” to asylum-seekers on Nauru and Manus Island that “Australia is not an option for you”.
“It is very difficult when people smugglers are messaging them, when we have advocates here messaging them saying ‘don’t accept packages, eventually you’ll come to Australia’,” Mr Dutton said.
“We cannot offer false hope to them.”
Mr Dutton also said the new laws were partly designed to stop refugee advocates from marrying asylum seekers and bringing them to Australia on a spousal visa.
“There is intelligence that I’ve seen about people wanting to travel to Manus lsland to marry some of the people from the regional processing centre, to try and create a process where they might come here on a spouse visa.”
Anyone coming by boat would not even be eligible for a tourist visa in the future but children would be exempt regardless if they came alone or with their parents.
It is understood Labor has said it would have to see the whole bill before it knows if it can support it.
VIDEO: Angelina Jolie visits refugee camp in Jordan
