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Australia Won't Give Visas To People With Domestic Violence Convictions

Australia Won't Give Visas To People With Domestic Violence Convictions

The previous law only allowed authorities to deny a visa if the person had served more than 12 years behind bars.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Australian lawmakers have brought in a policy that allows them to refuse entry to people with domestic violence convictions.

The policy also allows authorities to kick foreigners out of the country if they harm their partner or child in Australia, according to the Daily Mail.

Immigration officials were only allowed to deny granting a person a visa if they had been in jail for longer than a year, but they've now upped the ante.

Immigration Minister David Coleman said: "Entering or remaining in Australia is a privilege and it is expected that non-citizens are, and have been, law-abiding.

"These crimes can inflict long lasting trauma on the victims and their friends and family."

The laws have been strengthened after several cases where people were allowed to come into the country after an appeals tribunal overturned their cancelled visa.

PA

Mr Coleman continued: "There is a case of a person who was guilty of assaulting his young son, who was denied a visa. The administrative appeals tribunal overturned that.

"There was a case of a person who was applying for a student visa who was guilty of assaulting his wife, who was denied a visa. And the administrative appeals tribunal overruled that."

Australian authorities famously banned rapper and singer Chris Brown from entering the country for his assault on his former girlfriend Rihanna.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Australia News, News, Domestic violence, law, Australia