Opposition leader Angus Taylor's proposed immigration policy — targeting nationals from specific countries deemed 'high risk' — has sparked fierce backlash, with critics drawing parallels to Australia's discredited White Australia Policy.
A sweeping immigration proposal put forward by Coalition leader Angus Taylor has ignited one of the sharpest debates in Australian politics this year, with legal experts, multicultural community groups, and former immigration officials condemning the plan as discriminatory and constitutionally problematic.
The policy, announced ahead of the federal election, would introduce country-of-origin screening criteria for visa applicants — effectively imposing heightened scrutiny and lower approval rates on nationals from nations Taylor described as "bad countries." The proposal also includes expanded deportation powers and reduced family reunification pathways for applicants from designated nations.
"What we are seeing is a Trumpian approach to migration dressed in Australian clothing — and it has no place in a modern, multicultural democracy."
— Shadow Immigration spokesperson
Iranian-Australian community leaders were among the first to respond publicly, describing Taylor's remarks as "deeply offensive" and pointing out that Iranian migrants consistently rank among the most highly educated and economically productive cohorts in Australia's skilled migration intake. A coalition of multicultural advocacy groups has since called on the major parties to rule out country-of-origin discrimination in any future visa framework.
Constitutional lawyers have also raised red flags. While the Migration Act gives the Minister broad discretionary powers, several academics argue that codifying nationality-based exclusions would invite legal challenge and potentially breach Australia's obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and bilateral consular agreements.
The government has so far declined to adopt the Coalition's framework, with the Home Affairs Minister stating that Australia's migration system must remain "merit-based, transparent, and free from ethnic or national prejudice." Taylor, however, has defended the proposal as a necessary security measure, insisting that national interest must take precedence over "political correctness."
