Update: An earlier version of this story included an error based on the original report, which has now been amended and marked with an asterisk. Noticer News apologies for the error.
Australia’s left-wing Labor government has granted visas to more than *2,000 partners and family members of illegal asylum seekers during a 1.5 year period, shock official figures show.
According to the Department of Home Affairs, the Anthony Albanese government handed out *2,158 permanent visas between February 2023 and September 2024 following a decision to allow so-called refugees who arrived before 2013 to start applying.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the decision to grant so many visas sent the message that Australia’s borders were wide open for illegal immigrants.
“The Albanese Labor Government’s decision to grant permanent visas to partners and family members of asylum seekers who arrived by boat is just the latest in a litany of border protection failures from this government,” he said.
“This is a direct result of Labor’s decision to undermine Operation Sovereign Borders through its decision to abolish the use of temporary protection visas.
“Now they are not only giving permanent visas to 19,000 illegal boat arrivals, but their family members too.”
But a Home Affairs spokesperson said Australia’s border protection policies had not changed and “any person who attempts to travel to Australia irregularly will not settle permanently here”.
So-called refugees protesters blocked streets in Sydney and Melbourne while demanding permanent visas blocked streets for months in 2024, infuriating local residents, clashing with police, and attracting counter-protests by right-wing activists.
Since coming to office in May 2022, the Albanese government has allowed in more than 1.4 million immigrants – enough to fill the city of Adelaide – fuelling a housing a rental crisis and causing wage stagnation.
Header image: Left, Anthony Albanese at a Sikh temple in Sydney. Right, so-called refugees at a protest demanding to be allowed to stay in Australia forever (Facebook).
