Minggu, 16 Juni 2013

Coalition announces plans to deport foreigners convicted of serious crimes

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The Coalition says asylum seekers who commit serious crimes should be deported without having access to the right of appeal.

Foreigners who commit crimes in Australia can already have their visa cancelled if they are sentenced to more than a year in prison.

However, the Coalition argues foreign criminals have been exploiting the appeals process.

Shadow attorney-general George Brandis says the lengthy appeals process should be ditched except in exceptional circumstances.

"There is a very direct link between the security of our borders and the safety of our streets," Senator Brandis told Channel Ten.

The Coalition says the changes would apply to all foreigners, including asylum seekers who are released into the community while they wait for their refugee applications to be considered.

Deputy Coalition leader Julie Bishop says the party would not violate international law, but it intends to send asylum seekers convicted of criminal offences back to the countries they have fled from.

"Australians deserve to be protected from people who come here and then commit crimes punishable by more than 12 months and then we would see to turn them back," she said.

"Now obviously there will be circumstances where countries won't take them back and I understand that."

The policy announcement comes after Egyptian asylum seeker Sayed Abdel Latif was found to have been living in community detention in Australia, despite the issuing of an Interpol "red notice" showing he had been convicted of murder and terror-related offences.

On Friday, murder and weapons convictions against Mr Abdel Latif were dropped by the international crime body at the request of Egyptian authorities.

Convictions of belonging to an illegally-formed extremist organisation and travel document forgery remain on his red notice.

Mr Abdel Latif, his wife and children remain in immigration detention.

Coalition announces plans to deport foreigners convicted of serious crimes - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


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