Refugees resettled in New Zealand from Australia banned from returning forever | Australian election 2022

The refugees moved in New Zealand from Australia will not be able to return even if they become New Zealand citizens, the Morrison government has announced.

Home Secretary Karen Andrews said on Tuesday that Australia would interfere resettlement agreement for 450 refugees from becoming a “reverse,” stopping potential travelers at the border.

In an interview with Radio National Andrews, he had a hard time explaining how such a ban would be enforced after Interior Ministry officials warned in March that legislation was likely to be needed..

But the shadow minister of labor, Christina Kenillysupported the bipartisan ban, promising to “close that back door by law or regulation” if elected in May.

In March, the Morrison and Ardern governments signed a deal, first agreed in principle between Julia Gillard and John Key in 2013.

Labor called the move a humiliating reversal after high-ranking coalition figures had argued for years that the deal would encourage unsafe boat trips to Australia by asylum seekers and refugees.

Refugees resettled in New Zealand from Australia will have the same rights as others, including the path to citizenship in five years, which raises questions about whether they can obtain special subclasses 444 that allow New Zealanders to stay in Australia indefinitely to live, work or study.

Asked how Australia would prevent the return of refugees who become New Zealand citizens, Andrews said “those doors are closed”.

“We will never allow them to settle here, and the New Zealand government knows about it,” she told Radio National. “They said it’s up to us how we manage our borders.”

“They were clear that they didn’t agree with that – that’s fine – we were also clear that they would never be allowed to settle here in Australia.”

Andrews was repeatedly asked how the ban would be enforced, before stating that “it will be a matter of border policy, which they will not be able to settle here.

“They will be stopped at the border as we do not allow people who do not meet the requirements for entry into Australia.”

Andrews explained that “we know who they are” because they are “part of the resettlement agreement”, meaning that there will be a permanent list of refugees resettled in Australia who are banned from re-entry.

In March, New Zealand Immigration Minister Chris Faofoi said in connection with the deal that “we have not made any concessions.”

“We have always said that this is a problem for Australia, in terms of whether it allows these refugees to visit Australia. I think they have made a decision, I think I will leave it to them to finalize their agreements. “

In March, Secretary of the Interior Michael Petzula told the Senate Estimates that New Zealand had left “entirely to us” how to ensure the preservation of Australia’s borders.

Petzula said there was “no other way” to achieve the ban except through legislation, warning that he needed an “absolute tool” to ensure refugee policies do not relocate to Australia.

“Such a bill from the point of view of statutory law will be clear that a person can not take advantage of coming here on a visa 444, if she received this right as a citizen of New Zealand and would ever settle here forever,” he said.

Petzula added that when the Turnbull government proposed it, it was rejected.

“So if I can, I will just take this opportunity, in the days of the death of this parliament, to say that even though the parliament is formed in the future, and the one who forms the government, if anyone can give me tools to implement the policy you both agree with, I will be very grateful. ”

On Tuesday, Kenilly said the Department of the Interior had “recognized” that the door from New Zealand to Australia was not closed because “they cannot name any legislation or regulation as it happens.”

Kenilly accused the government of abandoning an agreement with New Zealand to “take away with sand those Liberals in the city center who oppose these teal [independent] candidates ”.

“Look, we’re realizing the deal. We are implementing the transaction in full and we will close this back door in accordance with the law or regulation. “