BABIES born in detention will be classed as illegal boat arrivals and subject to the same offshore processing as their parents, under new laws designed to prevent them obtaining automatic Australian citizenship.
The move would stop the practice of “anchor babies”, the term used for illegal refugees who come to Australia to have a child in detention.
Illegal arrivals in the past have used childbirth to milk taxpayer-funded welfare and improve chances of residency.
Under the new laws, which will be debated in parliament this week, a baby born in detention would have the same classification as its parents.
The tough laws, which were introduced by Immigration Minister Scott Morrison as part of a bill to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas, is another measure to reduce the appeal of illegally coming to Australia.
Mr Morrison said the government would extend the definition of Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals to include children of Illegal Maritime Arrivals.
“This will ensure that, consistent with their parents, these children are subject to offshore processing and are unable to apply for a visa while they remain in Australia, unless I have personally intervened to allow a visa application,’’ he said.
“This amendment supports the government’s intention that IMA families in regional processing countries should be treated consistently and that children born to an IMA ought not be treated separately from their family in the protection assessment process.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/tough-laws-on-boat-arrivals-sink-ancho...
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