Record numbers of Gazans in Australia file fresh asylum claims

Record numbers of Palestinians are filing asylum claims to enactment successful the state it tin beryllium revealed, conscionable months aft the authorities announced that 1300 Gazans granted visitant visas by the authorities had made it retired of the Middle East to Australia.

According to figures tabled successful the Senate Monday, 166 Palestinians filed asylum claims allowing them to stay successful Australia portion their claims are processed successful August alone.

Only Chinese nationals filed much asylum claims, putting successful 224 applications implicit the people of the month.

Since January, immoderate 915 Palestinians person filed asylum claims.

While applicants’ erstwhile visa presumption is not contained successful the figures, the numbers suggest that arsenic galore arsenic 70 per cent of those granted visitant visas by the Albanese authorities person present sought to enactment arsenic asylum seekers connected visas that let them enactment and survey rights.

The Daily Telegraph understands that anterior to the existent warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas, Palestinians had ne'er been successful the apical 20 root countries for asylum seekers.

Controversy has dogged the programme to bring Gazans to Australia connected visitant visas, which are taxable to little stringent checks than humanitarian visas.

Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic precocious said the visitant visas were issued due to the fact that they were “faster to process” due to the fact that the authorities wanted to “get radical retired arsenic rapidly arsenic you can.”

However concerns astir wide fashionable enactment for Hamas wrong Gaza person led to concerns astir nationalist security.

In August, absorption person Peter Dutton said, “I don’t deliberation radical should beryllium coming successful from that warfare portion astatine each astatine the moment. It’s not prudent to bash truthful and I deliberation it puts our nationalist information astatine risk.”

Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Dan Tehan said determination were present 85,687 failed asylum seekers successful Australia awaiting deportation, portion conscionable 19 near the state past month.

“Labor cannot beryllium trusted erstwhile it comes to migration oregon borderline security,” Mr Tehan said.

“Any competent authorities should person anticipated that radical fleeing a terrorist-controlled warfare portion would question asylum successful Australia.”

“Labor has issued astir 3000 visitant visas to Palestinians but had nary program for what happens aft they get successful Australia.”

“Can the Prime Minister warrant that each Palestinians who arrived connected tourer visas and claimed asylum person been done the due information checks?”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s bureau has been approached for comment.

Originally published arsenic Record numbers of Gazans brought to Australia by Labor record caller asylum claims