Australia revoke visas of foreigners who commit serious crimes

The Australian Government has announced that it is committed to ensuring that people who travel or migrate to Australia abide by the nation’s laws and community standards.

Immigration and Citizenship Minister Peter Dutton warned that those who don’t will risk their visa being cancelled, which, in turn, will lead to their removal from Australia.

He also revealed that some 450 visas have been cancelled and 100 visa applications refused under character provisions in the Migration Act since 01 July 2014, an increase of 450% compared with the previous year for visa cancellations and an increase of over 40% for visa refusal decisions.

‘I know that the overwhelming majority of people who visit or migrate here are honest, law abiding and make a valuable contribution to the fabric of our society, but under this Government people convicted of reprehensible and abhorrent crimes are not welcome here,’ said Dutton.

‘My message to the minority of people who travel to Australia and violate community standards is that they should consider themselves on notice. We will continue to target you by cancelling your visa and will remove you from Australia as soon as possible,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the assistant Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash revealed that the department has gathered crucial intelligence in its investigations into a possible labour-hire scam in Victoria’s Gippsland area.

A joint operation between Immigration and Border protection investigators and Transport Safety Victoria targeted workers on buses that were believed to be heading to a farming operation. When they were stopped, one person who was found to be an unlawful non-citizen provided investigators with vital intelligence to advance the current crackdown on illegal work practices.

‘There is no place in our community for employers or contractors who mistreat foreign workers or profit from underpaying them and we will actively pursue prosecution and heavy fines for both individuals and companies,’ she explained.

‘The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will work closely with the Fair Work Ombudsman and other enforcement agencies to ensure that visa fraud, work scams and worker conditions and entitlements are swiftly investigated,’ she added.

Employers found to have employed, referred or contracted an illegal worker can face fines and civil penalties up to $76,500 per illegal worker under Employer Sanctions legislation.

Individuals who knowingly or recklessly use illegal workers face fines of up to $20,400 and/or two years imprisonment per illegal worker, while companies face fines of up to $102,000 per illegal worker.

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