Why Albo's administration is allowing Kiwi criminals to stay in Australia
The Albanian government has nearly halved the proportion of New Zealand visa cancellations based on character.
Labour has been accused of being lenient on criminals, sex offenders, and drug traffickers due to the sharp decline in the number of New Zealanders sent back to their home country on character grounds, which include a significant criminal history.
In January, the Australian government revised its policy regarding the deportation of New Zealanders who have spent more than a year in an Australian penitentiary.
When deciding whether to deport Kiwis, the length of time they have resided in Australia will be taken into account.
During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, only 129 'Subclass 444' New Zealand visas were cancelled, according to documents from the Department of Home Affairs.
Compared to the 244 cancellations in 2021-2022 and the 466 students sent home in 2019-2020, this is a significant decrease.
Dan Tehan, the immigration spokesman for the opposition, stated that the easing of deportations could place Australians in danger.
Australians are always concerned that Labour lacks the intestinal fortitude to make the difficult decisions necessary to keep our country secure, he told the Telegraph.
They will now ask, correctly, why Labour is lenient on criminals, sexual offenders, and drug traffickers.
The Coalition denied or revoked 10,206 visas based on the character provision of the Migration Act, including 335 who were members, associates, or organized crime figures of illicit motorcycle gangs.
The Department of Home Affairs cancelled only 280 visas in total this fiscal year, compared to 616 in 2021-22 and 921 in 2020-21, according to available data.
In January, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles instructed his department to consider how long New Zealanders convicted of severe crimes had resided in Australia prior to revoking their visas.
According to a spokesperson for Giles, the Department of Home Affairs must now consider the applicant's duration of stay in Australia as a significant consideration in deciding whether or not to cancel their visa.
The Australian government will continue to revoke visas and deport individuals who pose a threat to the community.
His announcement followed months of campaigning by former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern against the deportation of Kiwis without relatives in the country.
In 2020, Ardern criticized former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for putting strain on relations by ordering the deportation of "your people and your problems."
