Dozens of foreign offenders deported from Victoria in crackdown on criminals

Murderers, rapists and child sex offenders were among more than 160 criminals from Victoria who were booted out of Australia in 2018 during a crackdown on foreign offenders.

Murderers, rapists and child sex offenders were among more than 160 criminals from Victoria who were booted out of Australia in 2018.

The Herald Sun can reveal the federal government stripped more than 800 non-citizen criminals of their visas last year.

TOP PROSECUTORS WARN OF FOREIGN CRIMS ESCAPING JUSTICE

BOOTING OUT CRIMINALS A BOON FOR TAXPAYERS

CRIM’S JAIL TIME CUT TO AVOID DEPORTATION

Since 2014, more than 700 criminals from Victoria have been deported as part of the crackdown.

In Victoria last year, more than 25 were booted for child sex offences/child pornog­raphy, nine for rape or sexual assault, up to five for murder, 18 for assault, 29 for drug ­offences and 22 for armed robbery. Nationally, 53 people had their visas cancelled in 2018 for domestic violence.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said the Coalition had cancelled 4150 visas since 2014.

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, David Coleman, said the government was sending a strong message to non-citizen law breakers.

He said that between 2009 and 2013, Labor cancelled 582 visas. Since 2014, the Coalition had cancelled 4150 visas.

“Over the past five years, the government has stripped 4150 non-citizens of their visas after committing serious and abhorrent crimes such as child sex offences, domestic violence assaults and murder,” Mr Coleman told the Herald Sun.

Some linked to outlaw ­motorcycle gangs to have had their visas cancelled in recent years include Rebels bikies A.J. Graham, Danny Mousley, Ko Haapu and Colin Picard.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said: “We welcome people from all around the world, but those few who think they can live in Australia and be involved in criminal actions need to know they won’t be staying long.”

In December 2014, the government strengthened the character provisions in the ­Migration Act, introducing mandatory cancellation provisions.

The changes meant a non-citizen’s visa had to be cancelled if they were sentenced to 12 months or more in prison or convicted of a sexual crime against a child.

Recently, the government sought to make the legislation even stronger.

It introduced a list of designated offences to “provide clear and objective grounds for the consideration of visa refusal or cancellation”.

Those offences include crimes involving violence, sexual assault, domestic abuse and the use/possession of weapons.

@davidhurleyHS