Choudhary Ashraf: Immigration Bill — Second Reading 
Choudhary Ashraf: Immigration Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:652;Page:1707] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 I rise to support the Immigration Bill because it was a Labour Government bill. It is well-thought-out and it changes the immigration law after 20 years. Consideration was given to many issues and concerns that have been raised by the community. In doing so the Labour Government considered the global labour situation and the security environment around the country as well as internationally. This bill provides a balance between allowing us to choose the migrants we want and need in this country and protecting our national interest. It ensures that we can protect our borders and it enables us to successfully fill our immigration-related international obligations. 
This bill does a number of things and I will highlight some of the key issues in it. For example this bill looks at the visa system. At the moment we have a number of visas permits and exemptions. I know that a number of people who visit this country get a permit to enter then they have to apply for another visa if they want to stay for a longer term—although sometimes people have exemptions. This bill clearly brings all these visas if you like into one universal visa system. I think that is very important because of the costs of some of these visas for some visitors. When they come here they have to pay one set of fees then when they apply for a visa in order to stay for a longer term they have to pay more fees. All these different fee structures have been combined into one universal visa system. It is also a much easier and more flexible system for the Minister of Immigration to implement and there will be a lot of positive outcomes for people who are coming into the country. 
At the moment we have a number of appeal authorities. For example there are four appeal authorities that people have to go through. If they have been out here for some time and they want an extension to their visa or they have overstayed then to regularise their visas they have to go through a number of authorities. This bill combines all of those authorities into one independent appeal tribunal called the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. I think this will be great for a lot of people who have overstayed. The bill gives the Minister the opportunity to have one tribunal to deal with these issues. Similarly the removal and deportation provisions and the revocation of visas provide for a transparent deportation system. I think that is very important because often immigrants are confused. They are not sure which particular regulations apply to them because they have either a removal order or a deportation order. All these provisions are now combined in this bill. 
Although I support this bill I am also very mindful of a number of issues that the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee looked at. There were 90 submissions on this bill and most of them were heard by the committee. The committee has made some important changes to a number of issues particularly in relation to the use of classified information on people coming here to the refugee and protected person system and to the detention and monitoring system. Some of those issues have relevance in terms of people’s rights particularly in relation to using classified information. The select committee had to do a lot of work to try to streamline some of those issues. The select committee has done a great job and I congratulate the committee members. With those few words I thank the committee for its work and I support the bill.