Australian authorities, ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 10, have decided to soften immigration legislation, reports Lenta.ru. According to the new rules for entering the country, 9,500 refugees who are currently in temporary camps will now receive permanent residence. Many believe that the authorities decided to change migration rules to weaken the opposition Labor Party, which now accuses the government of political plagiarism.
At one time, Australia took an extremely tough stance on granting citizenship to refugees, especially from Afghanistan and Iraq. Ships carrying illegal migrants to the Green Continent were detained by border services, and their passengers were deported to their homeland or to countries willing to accept them. Only in rare cases did the authorities grant refugees three-year temporary visas introduced in 1999. They allowed presence in the country but did not provide any social benefits or guarantees.
According to Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, refugees with temporary visas will now be able to transition to permanent residence. Many of them, the minister said, already have jobs in areas of Australia where there is a noticeable shortage of people. Of course, she added, not all refugees will be able to obtain permanent residence, but they now have the opportunity.
However, the authorities do not intend to abandon the fight against illegal entry of immigrants into Australia. "I can assure you that we will not weaken border protection and will not allow people smuggling," Vanstone said in this regard.
However, not everyone in Australia welcomes the softening of migration rules. Many politicians consider this decision "unbridled political opportunism" linked solely to the upcoming elections. They consider the abolition of temporary visas, which for many years protected the country from an influx of Asian refugees, a mistake.