Following a number of high profile cases regarding visa holders with criminal records, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has asked for all visa decision cases based on character to be referred to him personally.
Morrison is seeking to take personal responsibility for such visa decisions after a New Zealander and a Vietnamese man with criminal records were granted permission by an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to stay in Australia.
Morrison told the media that he alone would be responsible for overseeing visa cancellations based on his reading of possible deportees’ characters and lifestyles, adding that, once his decisions were made, no appeals would be allowed.
He also wanted to reduce avenues for review of such decisions, noting “Had the decision to cancel Gabriel’s visa been made by the Minister, it would not have been subject to review by the AAT”.
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