‘Inviting radicalism’: ASIO, Coalition split over visas for Hamas supporters

A rare disagreement has erupted between the nation’s top spy and the Coalition over whether Hamas supporters should be allowed in Australia, as Palestinian advocates grow impatient with delays in establishing a permanent visa scheme for people fleeing the war in Gaza.

Coalition MPs wrote to new Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Tuesday urging him to ensure no known supporters of Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, were permitted to enter Australia.

ASIO boss Mike Burgess said there was a difference between financial, ideological and rhetorical support for Hamas. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said on Sunday that anyone who had advocated violence would be ruled out and providing financial support or material aid to Hamas might be a problem for Palestinians undergoing security checks as part of their visa application process, but “just rhetorical support” for the group would not.

The flare-up over visas for Palestinians came as parliament’s powerful intelligence committee called for Foreign Minister Penny Wong to consider taking the dramatic step of designating the Hezbollah-controlled area of southern Lebanon a “declared” area, meaning it would be illegal for Australians to be there.

In a letter to Burke signed by most members of the Coalition party room, opposition MPs said: “We implore you to provide the policy direction to the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that no visa is issued to a person found to support any terrorist organisation, including Hamas, and that those who are presently in Australia and who are known to have links to, or support Hamas, are urgently considered for visa cancellation.”

Opposition home affairs minister James Paterson insisted he was not criticising the ASIO chief, saying: “It’s not a matter for Mike Burgess to set immigration policy in Australia. He wouldn’t seek that role for himself.”

A national security source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, pointed out that nowhere in his weekend interview did Burgess say or indicate he was expressing an official government policy position.

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie told Sky News: “I think anyone who supports Hamas should not be allowed into Australia – it’s as simple as that ... I’ve got a lot of respect for Mike Burgess and he’s a pretty straight shooter, but on this question, I disagree.

Hastie said Hamas was committed to the destruction of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

“So, if we have people coming to Australia who support Hamas, all we’re doing is inviting more radicalism into Australia, which will damage our social cohesion and potentially lead to other consequences,” he said.

Palestine Australia Relief and Action founder Rasha Abbas, who has been helping Palestinians resettle in Australia, questioned what would constitute support for Hamas and accused the Coalition of playing politics.

She said simply liking a tweet, for example, did not constitute meaningful support for Hamas.

Abbas said she believed the government was poised to announce a pathway to permanent settlement for Palestinians – a move that would allow them to access health, welfare and education services – before Burke replaced Clare O’Neil in the Home Affairs portfolio in last month’s ministerial reshuffle.

Abbas said Burke told her last week that he did not want to rush the process.

“How can the government say there is no rush? We have been discussing this for nine months,” she said.

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