Christian Porter pushes for influx of at-risk South African farmers

Attorney-General Christian Porter is pushing hard for an influx of South African farmers in Australia.

Attorney-General Christian Porter is keen to bring South African farmers to his electorate. Picture: John Feder

Attorney-General Christian Porter, whose Perth electorate of Pearce has the highest number of Afrikaans speakers in Australia, says his community will benefit from an influx of more South Africans and is working to assist persecuted farmers come to Australia.

As Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton awaits advice from his department on what can be done to assist persecuted South African farmers who have faced a targeted campaign of violence, Mr Porter told The Australian “the more South Africans in our local community the better”.

As revealed by The Australian last week, the Pearce electorate has 2659 Afrikaans speakers, followed by the seat of Moore, held by Liberal MP Ian Goodenough, who is pushing for a special intake of up to 10,000 persecuted South African farmers.

“More than any other place in Australia, South Africans have made their home in the north coast of WA, in my electorate. They are hardworking and make a huge contribution to our local community,” Mr Porter said.

 

“For the last five years, my electorate office has helped a steady stream of members of this community with a range of visa and immigration issues and I have always thought that, given their contribution, the more South Africans in our local community the better.

“If anyone in Pearce needs any assistance with relatives back in South Africa who are potential candidates for visa classes based on any form of persecution, or any other visa class for that matter, please contact my office and we will continue to provide every assistance”.

Other West Australian Liberal MPs have backed measures that would allow more South African farmers move to Australia.

Rick Wilson, the Liberal MP for the sweeping regional West Australia seat of O’Connor, told The Australian that he had seen many farm workers from South Africa settle in his electorate and work on local properties.

“The fact is they make great migrants because they are prepared to live in regional areas,” he said.

“I absolutely support them in terms of where there’s real and genuine persecution.”

Mr Wilson — whose seat is home to more than 950 Afrikaans speakers — said he thought the practice of taking land from South African farmers without compensation “adds up to state-sponsored persecution … On that basis, the farmers should be eligible for ­access to our current humanitarian program,” he said.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is “unaware of any state accepting South African farmers seeking protection on humanitarian grounds”.

A spokesman for UNHCR regional representation in Canberra said under the 1951 Refugee Convention, a person needed to be outside their country of origin in order to claim asylum. “UNHCR’s longstanding view is that Australia’s first priority should be those who have sought and were individually determined to be in need of protection, particularly those forcibly transferred to Papua New Guinea and Nauru under ‘offshore processing’ arrangements five years ago.”