Former immigration minister Scott Morrison asked ASIO to delay security checks for asylum seekers in 2013, in an apparent attempt to reduce the number of refugees granted permanent protection visas.
Before the Abbott government enacted legislation denying settlement to asylum seekers who arrive by sea, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection advised Morrison that up to 700 asylum seekers would have to be granted permanent protection in Australia.
According to cabinet documents obtained by the ABC, Morrison sought advice from the department on possible avenues of slowing Australia’s refugee intake before the new rules could be instated.
He was then advised he could ask Australia’s security apparatus to delay the checks, in an attempt to keep asylum seekers from qualifying for permanent protection before the new legislation was enacted.
While documents show Morrison’s department did contact ASIO with the request, it is unclear if ASIO followed through.
Morrison also greenlit an order instructing two tribunals dealing with the claims of asylum seekers to process them in a particular sequence, further slowing the rate of completed claims.
The measures reportedly would have stopped 30 asylum seekers per week from gaining permanent protection.
Asylum seekers who missed the deadline were only permitted to stay in Australia for three years, instead of being granted the opportunity to build a new life on our shores.
