‘Inviting radicalism’: split over visas for Hamas supporters

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called for a blanket ban on arrivals from Gaza, in an effort to stop Hamas supporters entering Australia.

But ASIO director-general Mike Burgess says even Palestinians who have expressed rhetorical support for listed terror group Hamas will not necessarily be blocked from entering Australia.

He also urged politicians to moderate their language, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could encourage aggrieved individuals to turn to violence.

Coalition MPs wrote to new Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Tuesday urging him to ensure no known supporters of Hamas were permitted to enter Australia.

“So, if we have people coming to Australia who support Hamas, all we’re doing is inviting more radicalism into Australia, which will damage our social cohesion and potentially lead to other consequences,” Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said.

Dutton upped the ante on Wednesday, calling for an outright ban not only on declared Hamas supporters but on any arrivals from Gaza.

“People are coming in from that war zone and we are uncertain about their identity or their allegiances," he told Sky News. "I don’t think people should be coming in from that war zone at all at the moment. It’s not prudent to do so and I think it puts our national security at risk.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promptly rejected the call to ban all visas for refugees from Gaza as divisive and heartless.

Macnamara MP Josh Burns said Dutton's position amounts to a race-based immigration policy.

The Department of Home Affairs has rejected more than 7100 visa applications from Palestinians since the October 7 terrorist attacks, The Australian reported. The department granted 2992 visas to holders of a Palestinian Authority travel document, the vast majority receiving visitor visas. Of those granted visas, however, fewer than 1500 have made the journey to Australia.

More than 9000 visas have been issued to Israeli applicants since October 7, while just 235 applications were refused.

The flare-up over visas for Palestinians came as parliament’s powerful intelligence committee called for Foreign Minister Penny Wong to consider taking the dramatic step of designating the Hezbollah-controlled area of southern Lebanon a “declared” area, meaning it would be illegal for Australians to be there.

READ MORE

Peter Dutton calls for an outright ban on Gaza arrivals (Sky News)

‘Not a problem’: Spy boss says Hamas sympathy not a visa dealbreaker (SMH, paywall)

Albanese describes Dutton's Gazan refugee call as 'heartless' (ABC)

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There's no grey in Dutton's views on the war in Gaza. Not even Australia's spy chief can shift his position (David Speers, ABC)

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