The last Labor Prime Minister promised that no illegal boat arrival would ever settle in Australia.
Now the current Labor Government will make it easier for boat arrivals to bring their families to
Australia ahead of an announcement about their permanent residency in our country.
Temporary Protection Visas were a key pillar of Operation Sovereign Borders that helped stop
the boats and end the deaths at sea.
Labor’s decision has gifted the people smugglers a new marketing campaign because they can
now tell desperate people that if you reach Australia, you will be allowed to settle here, and your
family will be allowed to join you.
Labor must tell the Australian people what their decision to enhance family reunions for illegal
boat arrivals will mean for border security, for the budget, housing, and for social cohesion.
This decision comes at the same time as the immigration minister has put doctors, teachers and
other skilled workers who want to settle in regional Australia at the back of the queue for their
visas.
The Labor Government has doubled the number of staff processing family reunion applications
for boat arrivals while processing skilled worker visas for regional areas at the lowest priority.
