On Thursday the 17th, Interior Minister Tony Burke had announced restrictions concerning student visas and working holiday visas, saying he wanted to show that the government “controls” immigration. He had notably indicated that 250 new detention places would be created and 100 additional officers recruited to sanction people who overstay their visas.
On Friday, the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, clarified that holders of a basic tourist visa would be liable to detention in the event of an overstay.
“We think obviously this deterrent measure will ensure that people comply with the conditions” of their stay in Australia, he told News24.
Tourism, an “important part of the Australian economy”
The measure was criticized by the Australian Tourism Industry Council, representing thousands of professionals, whose chief executive Erin McLeod said she feared damage to the country’s image.
Detaining tourists risks becoming truly damaging, as tourism is an important part of the Australian economy, she noted to AFP.
Human rights advocates also expressed their concerns, such as Rebecca Eckard of the Australian Refugee Council, who deemed the punitive aspect of the measure illegal. She also denounced insufficient access to healthcare in detention centers.
The growth of the far-right party in Australia
In total, Australia counts around 77,000 people living in the country whose visas—of all kinds—have expired, according to authorities.
The Labor government aims to reduce the country’s annual net migration balance to 225,000, from 292,000 currently, in this continent-sized country of nearly 28 million inhabitants.
On Thursday, September 17, Mr. Burke denied that this hardening was in response to the rise of the far-right One Nation party, credited with 25% of voting intentions in polls, and cited the necessity of addressing a housing crisis.
