According to SBS News, the opposition leader Peter Dutton, he emphasized in the article he wrote that security checks should be conducted on Palestinian refugees coming from Gaza and visas should be issued at the end of this process. Dutton used the expression, “Without security checks, we cannot know who is who.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albaneseresponded strongly to Dutton’s statements. Albanese said, “What is Peter Dutton doing? He is not talking about issues that directly concern Australians. What he is doing is instilling fear.” This debate led to the Labor Party, the Green Party and various pro-Palestine groups in the country reacting to Dutton’s statements. Dutton’s statements drew the government’s reaction and ignited a wide debate.
“At this stage, I don’t think it’s right for people to come from that war zone,” Dutton, the leader of the opposition Liberal Party, said in an interview last week, referring to Gaza. He said accepting visa applications from Gaza would be “unwise” and would threaten national security.
Albanese criticized Dutton’s statements, saying the opposition leader was “again aiming to divide.” According to official data in Australia, only 2,922 of the approximately 10,000 visa applications made by Palestinian citizens since October 7, 2023 have been accepted, while approximately 1,300 of those granted visas have entered the country. This has led to further deepening of ongoing debates around refugee policies and security concerns.
