Many asylum seekers fear being deported under proposed amendments to the new migration law.

Brisbane International Airport

Brisbane International Airport Source: AAP

The Labor Party's planned migration legislation passed the Senate, with the Coalition agreeing to pass three such bills.


Changes to the Migration Act would give the immigration minister authority to impose a blanket visa ban on countries, pay third countries to deport non-citizens, and ban items such as telephones from detention centres.

The package includes three separate changes to the Migration Act introduced by the Labour Party during the year.

The first is the controversial deportation bill introduced in March, which will allow the Immigration Minister to issue deportation pathway directives, which force non-US citizens to complete their passport applications or travel documents.

If a person does not comply with this directive, they face a minimum 12-month prison sentence.

The law also allows the government to designate what it calls a country of concern for deportation, and imposes a blanket ban on visa applications from that country with limited exceptions.

Powers to impose travel bans will now be reviewed after three years, and will require ministers to provide a list of reasons why a ban would be imposed on any country, following negotiations by the coalition.


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