The Australian government has made changes to its immigration policy and has softened its stance on deporting New Zealanders convicted of serious crimes who have lived in the country for a long period of time. A spokesperson for the Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, stated that the Department of Home Affairs must now consider the length of time someone has lived in the Australian community as one of the primary considerations when determining whether to cancel their visa. The move follows years of tension between Australia and New Zealand over the decade-long policy that allowed long-term residents to be deported on character grounds.
Successive New Zealand governments have expressed concerns that the people being deported had no meaningful links to the country or had spent most of their life in Australia. The recent decision has been welcomed by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, who called it a "first step". He said further work with Australia on visa cancellations and the general treatment of New Zealanders living in Australia would continue. However, the Opposition in Australia has called on the Labor government to clarify its new approach and protect Australian citizens. The most common reasons for visa cancellations of any nationality were drug offences, child sex offences, and domestic violence offences.
In recent years, Australia has deported hundreds of New Zealanders using laws that allowed long-term residents to be deported on character grounds as well as those who had been sentenced to a prison term of at least 12 months. This has caused significant tension in the relationship between the two countries, with New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling the policy "corrosive" to the relationship.
The recent change in policy is seen as a step in the right direction by New Zealand, which has been advocating for a more compassionate approach to deporting individuals who have lived in Australia for most of their lives and have strong ties to the country. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the decision was a welcome "first step" and acknowledged the need for "some common sense" to be applied between the two countries.
However, the Opposition in Australia has expressed concerns over the impact of this policy change on national security and the safety of Australian citizens. The Coalition Home Affairs Spokeswoman, Karen Andrews, called on the Labor government to clarify its new approach and prioritize the protection of Australian citizens.
In conclusion, the recent policy change has the potential to improve the relationship between Australia and New Zealand, as well as to provide a more compassionate approach to deporting individuals who have lived in Australia for a long period of time. Nevertheless, the impact of this change on national security and the safety of Australian citizens will need to be closely monitored and evaluated.
