Boats crisis: Labor accused or leaving door open to asylum seekers with relaxed rules

The Opposition has accused Labor of signalling to people smugglers Australia is open for business by allowing refugees who arrived by boat to bring their families to Australia.

The Albanese Government has been accused of risking a fresh wave of refugee boats after it lifted an effective ban on family reunion visas for asylum seekers who arrived by boat.

On Friday Immigration Minister Andrew Giles ordered his department to start processing applications for family reunion and spouse visas from people from who originally arrived in Australia by boat as asylum seekers.

This order reverses Direction 80, a diktat from the previous government that applications to bring family members and spouses to Australia made by people who originally arrived as an unauthorised maritime arrival were to go to the bottom of the pile for processing.

With the waiting time for processing these visas as long as nine years, Direction 80 and its predecessors had since 2013, effectively banned former asylum seekers who arrived originally by boat from bringing their family members to Australia.

The new rules, which will open the way for 6000 former asylum seekers to bring people to Australia, has led to accusations the Government is dismantling Australia’s border protection regime “brick by brick”.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

For now the change does not affect the 19,000 to 30,000 people who are currently on the classes of protection visas but which Labor has vowed to give a pathway to permanent residency.

But as soon as they make that transition they too will be able to bring their spouses and relatives to Australia.

Mr Giles told SBS the Government was “improving the family reunion pathways for these permanent visa holders, many of whom have been separated from family for over a decade, exacerbating mental health issues and imposing great and enduring uncertainty on their lives”.

But Opposition Immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said the changes, which came a week after the government was forced scramble laws to reinstate Nauru as an offshore processing centre, would be music to people smugglers’ ears.

“This government is dismantling operation sovereign borders brick by brick,” he said.

“Last time they were office Kevin Rudd dismantled Australia border protection system and 1200 people died and 8000 children ended up in detention,” adding it “is almost beyond belief that they would be running the same risk again”.

Dan Tehan says the changes will be “music to people smugglers’ ears”. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

He pointed out the rule change had come despite two boats being interception in recent weeks, the most recent one being intercepted at Ashmore Reef last month.

The change has however been welcomed by refugee advocacy groups who have long campaign for an end to Direction 80.

POLICY ‘POINTLESS’

Refugee Council of Australia CEO Paul Power said the policy should have never been introduced and it was good to see the Albanese Government had revoked it.

“This policy has caused enormous stress and anxiety for thousands of people, and has resulted in children growing up without ever knowing their parents,” Mr Power said.

“Direction 80, and previous versions of the policy, was pointless, adding further punishment to people who had suffered for years. Having experienced persecution at home, extended mandatory detention on arrival in Australia and often years of waiting for protection, this policy left refugees unable to put down roots in Australia even after gaining permanent residency.”

He the impact of the policy had been most keenly felt by refugees who have been unable to help family members still at grave risk in countries of origin or asylum.