Australia plans immigration reforms to curb asylum visa-hopping

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor government are preparing a new immigration reform plan aimed at curbing ‘visa-hopping’ and reducing the number of asylum claims. The proposed two-part draft bill seeks to address the issue of migrants applying for asylum as a last resort to extend their stay after holding other visas.

Under the proposed rules, migrants would be required to apply for humanitarian assistance within the first few months of arriving in Australia, potentially as early as 30 days. This measure follows a period where nearly 30,000 asylum claims were made, over 85 per cent of which were subsequently rejected.

The government is currently seeking support from Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and the Coalition to pass the laws. While the Coalition is not opposed to the proposals, negotiations continue regarding specific demands, such as stricter bans on certain categories of migrants.