One Nation Considers Cutting Family Visas in Australia
In Australia, the One Nation party is considering the possibility of reducing the number of permanent family visas. This could potentially make it more difficult for the country’s citizens to reunite with their husbands, wives, or children, ABC News reports.
The party’s migration plan
One Nation MP David Farley said the party could potentially reduce the number of visas for family reunification of skilled migrants as part of its future migration policy. According to him, the decision will depend on the pace of development of Australian infrastructure, including healthcare and education systems.
Earlier, One Nation presented a plan to reduce the temporary migration intake by 750,000 people over three years. Among the proposed measures is a ban on the entry of family members of temporary skilled workers and foreign students.
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The party did not specify what the future size of the permanent migration program would be. Farley dismissed suggestions that cutting family visas could deter skilled workers needed to fill critical vacancies from coming to the country. He noted that people can work remotely and stay connected at a distance.
Legal assessment of the restrictions
Former deputy secretary of the immigration department Abul Rizvi said the government does not have the legal authority to impose caps on visas for partners and dependent children of Australian citizens and permanent residents. He referred to Section 87 of the Migration Act.
Despite this, the current intake of permanent family visas is capped at 52,460 per year. According to Rizvi, the queue of partner visa applications stands at about 120,000 and continues to grow. Farley also said that One Nation had commissioned extensive economic modelling of its migration plan and intended to present a full strategy within the next two weeks.
