More than 30,000 immigrants who were given temporary visas after arriving illegally by boat have been allowed to stay in Australia forever.
The recipients include 6,513 Iranians and 4,573 Afghans, and most arrived between 2009 and 2014 and were given Temporary Protection visas or Safe Haven Enterprise visas.
Labor announced in 2023 that it would allow about 19,000 so-called refugees who arrived before 2013 to apply for special Resolution of Status visas, but the new figures show more than 30,000 have been granted – a rate of about 30 per day, The Australian reported.
More than half were granted within the first 18 months, and about 17,000 recipients are either eligible to apply for citizenship, or have already become citizens.
There has also been a 22% surge in permanent visa grants this year, and migration lawyers have claimed that the some are being issued before applicants were required to fight to stay in the country in court.
“Very clearly, the government made a decision to issue these Resolution of Status visas to thousands of ‘asylum seekers’ who were told they would never be resettled in Australia,” the lawyer said.
Resolution of Status visas recipients are allowed to permanently live, work, and study in Australia, and immediately get full access to all government social services and welfare payments, including the NDIS. They are also eligible for citizenship, and can sponsor family members to come to Australia.
A Home Affairs spokesperson said that some of the visas had been granted in response to more recent humanitarian crises, and were not all former Temporary Protection and Safe Haven Enterprise visa holders.
“Each case is assessed on its merits, taking into account the individual circumstances of the case and the most current and relevant country of origin information,” a spokesperson said.
“People who do not engage protection obligations, who are not awaiting a merits or judicial review outcome, and who have exhausted all avenues to remain in Australia, are expected to depart Australia voluntarily and may be provided assistance to depart.”
Thousands of so-called asylum seekers demonstrated in Australia’s major cities for months in 2024 demanding to be given permanent visas.
The Melbourne protesters were supported by far-left extremist groups, blocked footpaths, scuffled with police, and provoked counter-demonstrations from nationalist activists.
Header image: Left, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke pandering to Muslim voters. Right, so-called refugees at a protest demanding to be allowed to stay in Australia forever (Facebook).
