Australia is being accused of a “massive betrayal” after banning Iranians with valid tourist visas from entering the country over concerns they may be unable or unwilling to return home due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Announcing the ban on Wednesday, home minister Tony Burke said decisions about permanent stays “should be deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who had booked a holiday”.
The ban affects nearly 6,800 Iranians holding subclass 600 short-stay tourist visas. It does not apply to citizens of any other country and will remain in force for up to six months after which the minister must reapply to extend the measure.
The decision drew condemnation from refugee advocates. Jana Favero, deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, described it as a “massive betrayal of the Iranian community and a breathtaking moral failure”.
"In the moment that people need safety the most and their country is being torn apart, the Anthony Albanese government is slamming the door closed on people from Iran," she said.
Mr Burke argued that the government was "acting in the national interest amid rapidly changing global conditions" and would adjust its response as required.
The government said many of the visas in question were issued before the US-Israeli war against Iran began last month and might not have been granted had they been applied for now.
Officials said earlier this month that more than 7,200 people holding temporary Australian visas were in Iran, out of a total of over 40,000 across the Middle East, though the ban would cover only the tourist-visa holders. Parents of Australian citizens would receive "sympathetic consideration" and others seeking to visit could apply for a permitted travel certificate, they added.
The legislation enabling the ban was passed only weeks ago, pushed through parliament in March amid criticism from advocates who described it as "appalling”.
The bill was introduced the same day Mr Burke granted humanitarian visas to seven members of the Iranian women's football delegation visiting Australia. Mr Burke told reporters that the players were "welcome to stay in Australia". In the following days, however, five of them chose to return to Iran.
Independent MP Zali Steggall said the powers underpinning the ban on Iranians were “sweeping and unchecked” and warned that it would set a dangerous precedent. She called for parliament to revisit the legislation.
"Invalidating lawfully obtained visas undermines confidence in our entire migration system," the MP said, adding that thousands of people who had followed the rules and made plans in good faith were now being left in limbo.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said the ban made the government's position plain. "Today, we see with 100 per cent clarity what the Albanese government thinks of the safety of the Iranian people as they shut the door on protection for people with a visa to come here," he said.
The ban comes as the US-Israeli war on Iran shows no signs of relenting. Iran’s retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime trade route, has triggered a global fuel crisis.
