The Coalition’s suggestion of a blanket ban on visas for Palestinians fleeing the war in Gaza is under intense scrutiny, with independent MP Zali Steggall doubling down on claims it would be racist while advocates describe the move as “disgraceful” and “un-Australian”.
Peter Dutton, escalated the opposition’s rhetoric against Palestinians fleeing Gaza on Wednesday in criticising the security checking process for visa applications and urging a temporary blanket pause.
The opposition leader claimed no one fleeing Gaza should be allowed to come to Australia “at the moment” due to an unspecified “national security risk”.
On Thursday, during a motion to suspend the standing orders, Dutton said the stance was “not against people of a particular religious belief”.
“This is not against people of a particular political persuasion. This is about keeping our country safe,” Dutton said. “And Anthony Albanese has failed the Australian public and he should stand condemned.”
But, during the heated debate, Steggall accused the Coalition of whipping up fear and told Dutton to “stop being racist” in the chamber before withdrawing the comment.
Dutton later accused Steggall of being a Greens MP and holding “extreme views”.
But Steggall told Guardian Australia she stood by her comments, calling the policy, and its inference, racist.
“To raise an inference that we are to fear anyone coming here, seeking refuge from Gaza, any Palestinians, that there’s an inference they are all terrorists, or they are all linked with Hamas. Now that is, that is a racist inference,” she said.
“If [Dutton] is going to advocate for a policy that comes under the definition of racism, then that inference is there.”
The opposition’s hard line stance has infuriated the wider community, with advocates, community groups and constituents in western Sydney labelling the comments as “hateful” and “shallow”.
The borders to leave Gaza, and in particular the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, have been closed for months, meaning there are few opportunities to leave the conflict zone.
The latest death toll has just surpassed 40,000, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health authority.
The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, confirmed on Wednesday that 2,922 visas had been granted to Palestinians since 7 October 2023. More than 7,100 had been rejected for various reasons, such as security concerns and applicants not being considered immediate family.
Rasha Abbas, the director of Palestine Australia Relief and Action (Para) group, said it was “really disheartening” to see the opposition leader’s comments.
“It’s un-Australian, I would say; the leader of the opposition has tried to play politics with human suffering,” Abbas said.
Para said it was supporting almost 1,000 of the 1,300 Gazans who had made it to Australia since the conflict escalated after 7 October 2023. Abbas said many of them, including young children, were deeply traumatised and struggling with watching the conflict from afar.
“These are families trying very hard to find a way forward, to heal, while they’re still seeing their loved ones in pieces,” she said.
“The way that Australians have stepped in to come to help us, to help those new arrivals, the amount of support we are getting is unparalleled, unbelievable. It shows who we are as Australians.
“We expect our leaders to step in to reflect the beauty of our society and not to step into hateful rhetoric and divisive, scary tactics just to try and get some political mileage.”
Randa Abdel-Fattah, a sociology academic of Palestinian heritage, said the rhetoric “mainstreamed and normalised” the dehumanisation of Palestinian life.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s advocacy director, Jana Favero, said the comments were about politics – not national security or safety.
“I probably could have drafted some of the lines that [Dutton] said because he just constantly falls back from this pathetic playbook of fear and division,” she said.
In Sydney’s Belmore, located within Burke’s seat of Watson, constituents described their outrage at Dutton’s comments, with many supporting an increased visa intake.
Resident Sean Marshall said Dutton’s comments were “absurd” and that community anger at how the government had handled the war in Gaza was palpable.
“It’s sad that we’ve got someone who just plays such shallow, reactionary, hate-filled politics that doesn’t do the country any good,” he said.
“It’s absurd and just nasty. I wish there was an opposition that had some sort of compassion.”
Local teacher Sam, who didn’t want to share her surname so she could speak freely, said she could see “both sides” to the debate.
“A lot of people are very angry at how powerless they feel when it comes to the war. But things are so inflamed right now, people are so angry, and I just wonder if more people might heighten those feelings.”
Adam Torcaso, wwner of barber Fade City, said there was substantial empathy for the plight of Palestinian refugees across western Sydney.
“I feel for them; they should have the chance to live here and start a new life. As long as they fill out all the necessary forms and things like that, I don’t see why not.
“People see the videos, they see footage of children dying and they are all upset, it’s gut-wrenching. And, especially as a father, it is hard for me to see these children lose their lives. It’s just incredibly sad.”
