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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Paul Karp and Daisy Dumas

Palestinians were refused Australian visitor visas due to concerns they would not ‘stay temporarily’

Palestinian tent camp
Palestinians taking shelter in a tent camp near the border of Egypt. Earlier in the war, some Palestinians were refused visitor visas to Australia because ‘they did not demonstrate a genuine intention to stay temporarily’. Photograph: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

About 160 Palestinians were refused visitor visas to come to Australia in the first three months of the Israel-Gaza conflict, mostly due to concerns they would not stay temporarily.

According to answers to questions on notice, 150 people with Palestinian citizenship were refused because they “did not demonstrate a genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia” – a justification labelled “cold-blooded” and “cruel” by crossbench senators. Ten people who applied during the same period were rejected for other reasons.

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