The Australian Department of Home Affairs on Wednesday announced plans to restrict visitors from Iran for the next six months.
The ban took effect Thursday and applies to individuals who used an Iranian passport when granted a subclass 600 visa, which allows for temporary visitation to Australia. Since the breakout of conflict in Iran, it has been burdensome, if not impossible, for Iranian visitors to return to Iran when their visas expire. According to the Australian government:
The temporary travel restrictions that apply as a result of the Determination help protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia's migration system, and allow the Government time to assess risks before travel happens.
Some Iranian passport holders with a 600 visa are not impacted, including immediate family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents, people already in the country when the ban was announced, and people who have been issued a permitted travel certificate (PTC) that is currently in force. PTCs will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will be granted only in very limited circumstances: if the requesting individual is the parent of an Australian citizen or the individual can sincerely show that they intend to stay in Australia temporarily.
“Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who booked a holiday,†Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in response to the ban.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre condemned the ban in a social media post, stating:
This is a massive betrayal of the Iranian community. Just when people most need safety, the…Government is slamming the door closed. This is a heartless move that adds unnecessary trauma and harm.
The travels restrictions follow Australia's recent decision to grant asylum to members of the Iranian women's soccer team.
The conflict in the Middle East has continued after initial US and Israeli strikes in February. Many have deemed US attacks on Iran as violative of international law.
