There is little to envy about Andrew Giles’ position as stories of released immigration detainees convicted of serious crimes dominate the news cycle and the opposition frames the controversies as governmental dysfunction. Conservatives all over the world link immigrants, crime and border control to build their political fortunes. In Australia, Scott Morrison’s “stop the boats” campaign helped win an election in 2013, just as the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and aspiring US president Donald Trump hope similar tactics will help them in 2024.
As minister for immigration and border protection, both Morrison and his successor, Peter Dutton, turbocharged the securitisation of migration. Morrison, as minister then as prime minister, introduced mandatory visa cancellation rules for criminal offenders and dramatically broadened grounds for failure to meet the character test. First, the bar for visa cancellation was set very low – conviction of an offence or offences attracting a cumulative prison sentence of 12 months or more. Policy to guide officials and tribunal (merits) reviewers were refashioned as binding “ministerial directives” to drive home the restrictive message. The minister was given powers to override review authorities to cancel visas, where previously the discretion was targeted at interventions beneficial to applicants.
