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February 21, 2025
Home Affairs accused of rushing process to get votes Citizens' express lane Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been accused of "rushing through" citizenship applications in marginal seats and politicising citizenship for "partisan advantage," by launching an unprecedented three-day blitz of ceremonies to welcome thousands of new Australians in electorates Labor is desperate to hold.
Mr Burke's department will grant 12,500 people their citizenship papers between February 17 and March 4.
Western Sydney mayors are furious Mr Burke's department took upcoming ceremonies out of their hands, to confer citizenships on 6000 new Australians in Tony Burke Olympic Park over three days from today.
Opposition Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson accused Mr Burke of using a "rushed and unorthodox process" to politicise citizenship.
"Tony Burke should be transparent about why, on the eve of an election and at his direction, the Home Affairs Department has taken over citizenship ceremonies from local councils in Western Sydney in a rushed and unorthodox process," he said. "The process of awarding citizenship should never be politicised for partisan advantage."
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun also accused Mr Burke of "rushing through" citizenships.
Council documents show there was a spike in citizenship approvals in December.
"They have gone and rushed through citizenship applications for 700 people in Liverpool," Mr Mannoun said. "This is bulls--t. They are stacking marginal seats better than Woolworths stacks shelves."
Mr Burke will personally hand citizenship certificates to thousands of new Australians in key electorates including Parramatta and Werriwa.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said it was "remarkable" that Mr Burke was "putting thousands of people through an express citizenship process so that they can vote in the election".
"I just question whether there has been any slackening of the process, any compromise on the security checks," he told Sky News.
Migrants must have lived in Australia for four years to become a citizen.
The citizenship extravaganza organised by Home Affairs comes after Mr Burke attended multiple citizenship ceremonies in Western Sydney, including one in Canterbury-Bankstown on Tuesday.
A councillor present said Labor mayor Bilal El-Hayek told new citizens "don't forget to speak with the AEC about enrolling before you leave".
In response to questions, Mr Burke said it was "outrageous to suggest" people eligible for citizenship should have to wait.
Other Home Affairs ceremonies will take place in Brisbane, Toowoomba, Hobart, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.