SIX fake Iranian refugees who lied to get asylum in Australia will be deported despite the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s attempts to let them stay here.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has decided to use his power to override the AAT and cancel the visas of all six Iranian boat people. It is the latest in a series of moves which indicate Mr Dutton has lost patience with the AAT repeatedly foiling attempts by the Immigration Department to deport foreign-born criminals and economic refugees.
Mr Dutton is planning to introduce new legislation to widen his power to set aside rulings to include citizenship decisions made by the AAT. “Where a visa has been issued and then cancelled by the minister, it can be referred to the AAT,” he said. “If the AAT reinstates the visa, then the minister of the day can substitute that decision with a new decision. “The minister does have the ability to substitute a decision of the AAT, which I did in relation to those six Iranians. “But at the moment, no such arrangements exists for citizenship applications, so the decision of the AAT can’t be overruled by the minister — and that’s what we are seeking to change.”
AAT statistics reveal it has overturned 4389 visa decisions made by delegates for Mr Dutton in the past year — that equates to the AAT rejecting a staggering 39 per cent of the ministerial visa decisions reviewed by the AAT in the 12 months to April 30.
It did so despite the Immigration Department recommending that the three criminals were not worthy of being granted citizenship because they were not of good character.
Source: The Herald Sun