The Albanian government’s proposed “Trump-style” travel ban has sparked an international outcry, with the Russian embassy criticizing the measure and Iraqi officials caught off guard by the potential changes.
The federal government this week attempted to push legislation through parliament to ban visitors from overseas, including tourists, from coming to Australia.
The countries expected to be blacklisted include Iran, Iraq, Russia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. These countries will not accept citizens deported from Australia, and the government hopes a travel ban can force them to withdraw.
But Daily Mail Australia can reveal the proposal, which has been stalled in Parliament, is causing a diplomatic headache for the government.
A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Canberra told Daily Mail Australia that including Russia in this proposed legislation is “quite far-fetched”.
Tourists from at least five countries could be banned from traveling to Australia if Labour’s tough new migration laws are passed by parliament. It is possible that more will follow
A spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Canberra told Daily Mail Australia that the inclusion of Russia in this proposed legislation is “quite far-fetched”.
“We can hardly recall a single instance in which the Australian government expressed concern about the removal of a Russian citizen who had no valid reason to stay, or asked us to cooperate in such a removal,” the spokesperson said angrily.
The Russian embassy has not been contacted or informed by the Australian government about the legislation or its possible consequences, the spokesperson added.
When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, the Iraqi embassy in Canberra appeared caught off guard and asked for information about the proposal.
The travel ban proposal comes as the government braces for a Supreme Court case on April 17, known as ASF17, that could further fuel controversy over its approach to immigration.
The government was under fire for weeks after the Supreme Court released 149 detainees, including criminals, onto the streets in the NZYQ case last November.
The applicant in this new case is an Iranian man who refuses to cooperate with his deportation because he fears he will be persecuted and risk the death penalty if he returns to Iran as a bisexual man.
There are currently around 200 people in immigration detention in similar circumstances, and the government fears the High Court could order their release before Parliament signs off on the rule change.
Potentially affected diasporas have expressed their disapproval of the legislation in the days since it was announced.
Human rights lawyers have described it as “the pure definition of discrimination” and “Trumpian”, while others questioned whether Labor would ever have supported the Coalition if the tables were turned.
The travel ban proposal comes as the government braces for a Supreme Court case on April 17, known as ASF17, that could further fuel controversy over its approach to immigration.
Both Ms O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles held a press conference on Wednesday to express their disappointment
In another bitter blow to the government, the Greens and the Coalition voted to postpone the legislation on Wednesday.
They sent it to a Senate inquiry to investigate, which could take months for the report to come back – with the clock ticking for Labour.
Greens senator David Shoebridge denounced the proposal as “Trump-style immigration laws buried in Labour’s deportation bill.”
‘They are intended to blacklist citizens of entire countries from obtaining visas for Australia.
“Fortunately we were able to bring this back from the brink with an investigation in the Senate, but the threat is still real.”
The matter is expected to return to Parliament the same week the budget is presented.
Following the disappointing outcome in the Senate Labor, Home Secretary Clare O’Neil and Immigration Minister Andrew Giles held a brief press conference expressing their frustration with the situation.
Ms O’Neil said: ‘We are very disappointed that the Liberals have hampered our efforts. The reason we need this is because we are trying to run an orderly migration system in this country.
“Because of a decade of willful neglect, we have an immigration system that is… fundamentally broken.”
Ms O’Neil accused the Coalition of ‘playing politics’ with the matter.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan said on Wednesday morning there was not enough clarity or information to pass the bill straight away.
‘Once again we see a completely failed government process.
“What we want to do is really scrutinize this piece of legislation – it’s a serious piece of legislation – it deserves scrutiny, and everyone in the Senate agreed that it needed scrutiny, except the administration.”