Albanese Confirms All Cancelled Gaza Visas Processed ‘Offshore’
The Opposition queried the prime minister regarding the revocation of 43 tourist visas for Gaza refugees.
Discussion in Parliament on Aug. 21 centered around the Gaza and Palestine situation.
Shadow Minister for Immigration Dan Tehan pressed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about reports suggesting that 43 tourist visas given to refugees from Gaza were canceled, with 20 of them reissued.
“Can the prime minister confirm this?” he inquired.
Albanese confirmed that all cancellations were done offshore and highlighted the prior granting of over 1,000 visas to Palestinian refugees by the former Coalition government before Oct. 7.
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley further questioned whether the visas for Palestinians underwent thorough security checks or were granted through an automated process.
Albanese responded by criticizing the opposition’s fixation on automated processes and related it to past issues like Robodebt.
The Opposition continued to criticize the government’s swift visa processing for refugees, labeling it as a politically driven strategy to secure votes in key electorates.
Albanese defended the visa issuance, pointing out that it was not a new practice and citing the previous government’s granting of visas to Syrians during the ISIS conflict.
He criticized the Opposition for focusing more on Middle Eastern issues rather than domestic concerns like living costs, job security, and climate change.
