August 12, 2024
The federal Opposition says social cohesion could be at risk if Labor offers Hamas supporters a safe haven, after the nation's spy chief said expressing support for the terror group would not automatically disqualify Palestinians from coming to Australia.
Yesterday ASIO director-general Mike Burgess rejected suggestions corners were being cut on security checks for people fleeing war-torn Gaza, less than a week after he raised the threat level of a terrorist attack in Australia from possible to probable, with local grievances over Israel's conduct contributing to a volatile security environment.
Mr Burgess' comments came as Foreign Minister Penny Wong echoed global outrage over an Israeli air strike on the Al-Tabeen School in Gaza City on Saturday. About 2000 people were sheltering in the school, and almost 100 people had been killed, including 11 children, Gazan officials claimed.
However, Israel's military said about 20 Hamas and Islamic terrorists were using the school as a "command and control" centre to carryout attacks, and claimed the death toll had been exaggerated.
Senator Wong said Australia condemned the death of civilians in the strike. "Innocent Palestinians cannot continue to pay the price of defeating Hamas," she said.
Since Israel launched its invasion of Gaza to dismantle Hamas after the militant group's October 7 terror attack on southern Israel, about 1300 Palestinians have been offered temporary refuge in Australia.
That cohort is on temporary visitor visas which do not entitle them to receive government welfare or work to support themselves.
The government is poised to announce a new type of visa allowing them to stay indefinitely.
The Opposition has complained that visas have been fast-tracked for Gazans, with security checks not being carried out thoroughly on people leaving a war zone. But Mr Burgess said people issued a visa had been screened.
"The critical point is: there are security checks," he said. "There are criteria by which people are referred to my service for review and when they are, we deal with that effectively."
While Hamas is listed as a terror organisation, Mr Burgess said supporting the group did not necessarily exclude a person from gaining a visa.
He said providing financial or material aid to Hamas would raise red flags.
"If it's just rhetorical support, and they don't have an ideology or support for a violent extremism ideology, then that's not a problem," Mr Burgess said.
"If they have a support for that ideology, then that will be a problem."
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said while Mr Burgess was correct that there was no legal barrier to Hamas supporters being granted visas, the onus was on the Albanese government to prevent it happening.
"Australia is a highly attractive country. Millions would love to come and live here," Senator Paterson told The Australian Financial Review.
"Why would we choose to welcome supporters of a listed terrorist organisation ahead of all the people who could make a great contribution to our country? Will it help our social cohesion? "Governments make choices all the time about who they prioritise to bring to Australia. If the Albanese government picks this cohort ahead of others it will be a revealing choice."
Jewish leaders felt Mr Burgess' comments were unhelpful.
