Asio chief says person who likes tweet supporting 7 October attacks on Israel could fail visa security test

Mike Burgess in August. The Asio head says people have ‘chosen to distort’ what he said on security checks on applications for visas from refugees fleeing Gaza. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

A person who likes a tweet supporting the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel will not pass a security assessment for an Australian visa, the head of the Asio spy agency has said.

Mike Burgess used an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program on Tuesday to hit back at people who had “distorted” what he had previously said about the security vetting process for Palestinians seeking to come to Australia.