Scott Morrison‘s last-ditch bid to pass Bill to deport ‘foreign criminals’

Scott Morrison is set to launch a fresh bid to make it easier to expel foreign criminals “who do not belong in Australia”, despite objections from Labor.

Scott Morrison has demanded Labor ‘get on board’ with the Bill to deport foreign criminals. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison is launching a last-ditch effort to pass laws that have languished in parliament for almost 1200 days to automatically deport foreigners convicted of crimes punishable by at least two years in jail.

Labor has opposed the Bill several times since 2018, with opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally arguing low-level offenders would be unfairly caught up and kicked out, and ­accusing the Prime Minister of trying to play “a political game”.

The parliament most ­recently rejected the “character test” legislation in October but the government will try once more time on Wednesday ahead of the May election, with Mr Morrison demanding Labor “get on board” because “Australia’s national interest ­demands it”.

“You can’t have an each-way bet on whether you support kicking criminals out of Australia – it’s time for ­Anthony Albanese to get off the fence and back the government’s Bill,” Mr Morrison told the Herald Sun.

“Any suggestions that the sorts of crimes being committed are ‘trivial’ are ridiculous – these are very serious crimes committed by foreign criminals who do not belong in Australia.”

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally says low-level offenders would be unfairly caught up and kicked out. Picture: Gary Ramage

The government argues the laws are necessary to limit judges factoring visa cancellation provisions into sentencing decisions. At present, visa holders are deported if they are sentenced to a jail term of 12 months or more.

Last year, in a case before Victoria’s Court of Appeal, a man convicted of armed robbery had his sentence of two years and two months reduced to nine months, in part because his visa would otherwise have been cancelled automatically.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said: “It should not be easier to deport an international sports star than a convicted criminal.

“On the character Bill, like so many issues, Anthony Albanese is having a bet each way. In fact, he has had so many ­positions he’s having a multi-bet.”

But Senator Keneally said it appeared Hawke “does not understand the powers he has right now to kick criminals out from this country”.

“If Minister Hawke isn’t prepared to use his current powers to kick rapists out of the country ... I suggest he gets out of the way, because as Immigration Minister, I won’t hesitate in doing so,” she said.

The Police Federation of Australia has pushed for the changes, arguing any foreigner convicted of a violent crime should have their visas reviewed regardless of the length of their sentence.

However, advocacy groups have warned of the consequences of deporting visa holders who have spent most of their lives in Australia.