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Updated March 10, 2026 \u2014 2:18pm,first published 12:02pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The Albanese government will seek to amend the Migration Act to allow Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to prevent cohorts of current temporary visa holders from travelling to Australia where they may claim asylum as they shelter from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The opposition and crossbench senators have been briefed on the legislation set to be introduced to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, just hours after members of the Iranian women\u2019s soccer team were granted humanitarian visas under threat of reprisal from their home country\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n According to briefing documents seen by this masthead, the legislation would extend the ability of the minister to delay the arrival of individuals already granted temporary visas to entire \u201cspecified cohorts of non-citizens who hold temporary visas\u201d for a renewable period of six months.<\/p>\n The purpose of the legislation is described as one that \u201crespond[s] to developments overseas by limiting travel to Australia by specified cohorts of temporary visa holders, where it is in the national interest to do so\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe current situation in the Middle East demonstrates how quickly the circumstances can change for visa applicants and for those non-citizens who already hold a temporary visa but have not yet travelled to Australia, and for whom a visa application now, would likely be unsuccessful,\u201d the document reads.<\/p>\n Related Article The majority of temporary visas in Australia are for tourism, but temporary visas are also issued for study and business.<\/p>\n Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said that the laws \u201cmake sense when it comes to protecting our national security\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an arrangement that I think is sensible,\u201d he said, adding that the party was yet to discuss the legislation.<\/p>\n Opposition Leader Angus Taylor rejected the idea that it was hypocritical to back humanitarian visas to the Iranian soccer players while offering in principle support for the migration reforms.<\/p>\n Minor parties and independents immediately criticised Labor\u2019s plan, with Greens leader Larissa Waters calling it a \u201cnew low\u201d for the government.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat an appalling act of cruelty from backing and resourcing an illegal war, raining down bombs on civilians to then shutting the door on those same civilians who have the legal right to enter our country,\u201d She said. \u201cYou cannot get more morally bankrupt or hypocritical than that.\u201d<\/p>\n Independent MP Zali Steggall, who was briefed by the government on Tuesday morning alongside crossbench colleagues, described it as \u201cracist overreach\u201d that would undermine the visa system.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very nebulous in the legislation when this provision can be triggered. It is clear the government is targeting Iranians with visitor visas or temporary visas,\u201d Steggall said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is clearly targeted at Iranians with visitor visas, but there is nothing precluding it from applying to people from Lebanon, Palestinians, Chinese \u2013 any country.\u201d<\/p>\n Independent senator Fatima Payman said she was given five minutes to review the legislation before a crossbench briefing, saying it was \u201cnot how parliament should be asked to assess significant new powers\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPowers of this scale deserve proper scrutiny, transparency and clear safeguards to ensure they cannot be misused,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The proposed power for the home affairs minister \u2013 called an \u201carrival control determination\u201d \u2013 would require the written agreement from the prime minister and minister for foreign affairs.<\/p>\n It would come into play when a significant \u201cevent or circumstance\u201d outside Australia could create a situation in which temporary visa holders would seek to remain in Australia after their visas expires, or where their visa may not previously have been granted.<\/p>\n Spouses, de facto partners and dependent children of an Australian citizen, as well as permanent visa holder cannot be delayed from coming to Australia under the proposed powers.<\/p>\n Burke will introduce the legislation after returning to Canberra from Brisbane, where he met with members of the Iranian women\u2019s soccer team. The government is seeking to have the legislation passed before parliament rises for a week-long break on Thursday.<\/p>\n Read more on the US-Israel-Iran war:<\/p>\n Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.<\/a><\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Home](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/9566a40ff5589083bbfbd27835dfc920fe4cc6ff.jpeg\")
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.Alex Ellinghausen<\/p>\n![\"Members](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/127ddc83a0f1ff6d38e5ce3ccf25d7f018f5b794.jpeg\")
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Nick Newling<\/a> is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Updated March 10, 2026 \u2014 2:18pm,first published 12:02pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":530346,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-530345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=530345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/530345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=530345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=530345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=530345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}