Leaked ‘Operation Gatekeeper’ Visa-Ban Draft Triggers Bipartisan Uproar
Canberra Launches Taskforce to Smash Traffickers Behind ‘False’ Asylum Claims
Angus Taylor Forms New Shadow Cabinet, Signals ‘Tough but Targeted’ Migration Reform
Latest News
48-Hour Biosecurity IT Shutdown Set for 21-22 Feb—Expect Delays at Borders
DAFF will take key import and biosecurity systems offline for 48 hours on 21–22 February to complete a data-centre migration. Airlines, freight forwarders and travellers carrying goods should expect slower manual processing and plan lodgements well in advance. The upgrade is the last step before Australia’s new cloud-based biosecurity platform goes live.
Leaked Liberal draft would ban migrants from Gaza, Somalia and 11 other ‘terror-prone’ regions
Guardian Australia has published details of an unreleased Liberal Party immigration blueprint that would automatically bar visa applicants from 37 districts across 13 ‘terror-linked’ countries and shrink Australia’s migration and student-visa intake. Although Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has disowned the leaked draft, party insiders say elements of the plan may survive in a future Coalition platform—raising significant uncertainty for global mobility programs and the international-education sector.
Angus Taylor distances himself from leaked policy but vows to ‘tighten up’ high-risk migration
New Opposition Leader Angus Taylor told ABC’s 7.30 he had no prior knowledge of the leaked Liberal migration ban, but still wants tougher screening and lower visa numbers. His stance suggests Australia’s immigration debate will continue to harden, meaning businesses may soon confront stricter character tests and slower processing for staff transfers and student flows.
Border Force launches new patrols after foreign fishing flotilla breaches Torres Strait
After five foreign fishing boats were photographed in Australian waters over the weekend, Border Force has begun an intensified joint operation in the Torres Strait. Thirteen vessels have already been turned back this year, highlighting ongoing security and bio-security worries along Australia’s northern maritime border and reminding businesses operating in the region to expect tighter vessel checks and possible delays.
Qantas sued again as engineers claim new A321XLR ground duties were unlawfully outsourced
Engineers have taken Qantas back to court, claiming the airline unlawfully outsourced ground duties for its new A321XLR fleet to third-party contractors. The case revives industrial-relations tensions that previously cost Qantas $210 million in penalties and could trigger fresh disruptions on key business routes if stop-work action occurs.