More than 800 foreign criminals — murderers, rapists and paedophiles — expelled from Australia
More than 190 foreign criminals, including murderers, rapists and child sex offenders, were kicked out of Australia from their Queensland homes last year.
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MORE than 190 foreign criminals, including murderers, rapists and child sex offenders, were kicked out of Australia from their Queensland homes last year.
Shocking new data reveals the Sunshine State is home to a quarter of all those who were stripped of visas in Australia after being convicted of serious crimes.
About 800 people were kicked out of Australia last year and more than 4150 visas have been cancelled in the past four years, the government figures show.
The number of visa holders expelled from the country has soared since 2014 after the then Abbott government toughened laws to automatically expel foreign criminals.
This is more than seven times the number who were removed from the country compared to the previous five years when Labor was in power.
Push to release Prakash citizenship legal advice
Immigration Minister David Coleman said the figures showed the laws were working.
“Foreign nationals who think they can flout our laws and harm Australian citizens should expect to have their visa cancelled,” Mr Coleman said.
“It is a privilege to enter and remain in Australia and we have no tolerance for those who put Australians in danger.”
New Zealanders made up a large number of those expelled including bikie Jim Thacker, who was involved in a Gold Coast brawl and Rebels motorcycle gang boss Aaron "AJ" Graham. It also includes Daniel Maxwell, who killed Brisbane teenager Cole Miller in one punch attack and controversial New Zealand pastor Logan Robertson, who was charged with public nuisance after abusing worshippers at a mosque in Kuraby, in Brisbane’s south.
West Australian bikie Kevin Michael Lawrence, who migrated from the UK in the 1960s but never became an Australian citizen, last year had his visa cancelled while he was visiting Thailand.
About 1100 of those removed from Australia in the past four years were based in Queensland.
The majority of people who were kicked out of the country in 2018 were convicted of violent offences, including assault, armed robbery and murder.
About 100 paedophiles were expelled in the past year, 53 domestic violence offenders and 34 rapists.
Further changes are due to be debated in parliament this year to spell out a list of offences that automatically lead to visa cancellation including sexual assault, domestic abuse and the possession of weapons.
One person who was kicked out in 2016 is appealing the decision, with lawyers arguing the visa cancellation was invalid because of claims Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is ineligible to sit in parliament.
That case, which is awaiting hearing at the Federal Court in Melbourne, is based on arguments Mr Dutton’s investments in childcare centres mean he is in breach of the Constitution. Mr Dutton disputes the claim and has not been referred to the High Court to determine his eligibility.
The release of the data comes as Mr Dutton has insisted he can strip Australian citizenship from ISIS terrorist Neil Prakash, who is in custody in Turkey.
Mr Dutton said Prakash is eligible for Fijian citizenship because his father was born in the country but Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has disputed this.
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