One Nation demands halt to migration from countries rated too risky for Australians to visit

Pauline Hanson is calling for an immediate stop to migration from countries designated off-limits to Australian travellers because of a high risk of terrorist attacks, conflict, or violent crime.

The One Nation leader said Australia should not allow ordinary migration from countries rated “do not travel” by its own Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“If the government warns Australians not to go to a country because of extreme security and terrorism risks, the Federal Government should not continue accepting ordinary migration from that country on a business-as-usual basis,” Senator Hanson said.

“Australia’s terrorism threat level remains ‘probable’, meaning ASIO assesses there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or planned attack within the next 12 months.

“We can no longer ignore the real security risks presented to Australians from regions hostile to our interests and way of life.”

Destinations currently rated “do not travel” include Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Senator Hanson declared Australians had “no faith” the Albanese Government was carrying out full security checks on new arrivals, given it had admitted returning ISIS brides and terrorist fighters.

“The government cannot issue its highest security warning for an entire country about terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary detention, armed conflict and collapsed authority, then pretend those same conditions are irrelevant to migration,” she said.

“Where the entire country is marked ‘do not travel’, the government should pause ordinary new migration. Where large parts are marked ‘do not travel’, every application should face far more rigorous security scrutiny.”

Senator Hanson demanded that refugees fleeing countries deemed risky to Australians should also be subject to similar scrutiny, with no access to a “refugee loophole”.

“These changes should apply to every new offshore visa from the listed ‘do not travel’ countries, including refugee and humanitarian visas,” she said.

“Any future refugee or humanitarian visa from a ‘do not travel’ country should be considered only if the government and relevant security agencies can give Australians an absolute assurance that the person’s identity has been established and that they present no security risk to Australians.”

One Nation’s proposed restrictions would not apply to countries rated high risk because of foreign invasion rather than domestic terrorism, such as Ukraine, Bahrain and Kuwait.

In March, the Federal Government announced a six-month ban on Iranians holding visitor visas from travelling to Australia under new laws aimed at “protecting the integrity and sustainability” of the migration system.

Facing growing political pressure from One Nation and the Coalition, Labor is working to reduce the net overseas migration rate from the current level of about 300,000 people a year, to the Budget targets of 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 the following year.