Australia politics live: Labor warned against changing work rights for visa holders amid ‘scapegoating’ of immigrants

A coalition of nearly 150 non-profit groups, multicultural advocacy organizations, and social service agencies has issued a strong plea to the Australian federal government, urging it to abandon proposed changes that would curtail work rights for temporary migrants awaiting decisions on their protection claims.

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At a time when multiculturalism and migrant communities are facing growing attacks and scapegoating, Australia needs leadership that brings people together, upholds fairness and ensures our policies do not further harm communities already being targeted.

The proposed changes, reportedly being developed by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, are part of a broader effort to reduce overseas migration levels. However, migrant advocates warn that removing work rights for individuals whose protection claims have been rejected would have severe consequences. Their joint open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese states that such a move would strip vulnerable people of their income and independence, making it impossible for them to afford rent, food, or other essential needs.

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This is not the Australia we want to be and it is not the answer to the growing challenges facing our community.

Instead of implementing restrictive measures, the organizations advocate for increased investment in faster processing of asylum applications, enhanced legal assistance, and the preservation of work rights. They argue that at a time when multicultural communities are facing increasing attacks and scapegoating, Australia needs leadership that fosters unity, upholds fairness, and avoids policies that further harm already targeted groups. The letter explicitly states, "This is not the Australia we want to be and it is not the answer to the growing challenges facing our community."

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I’m confident that there is an agreement to be reached here, and I say it for this reason. The coalition has said publicly that they think that reforming this scheme does matter. They’ve said that they’re up for that task.

Meanwhile, separate from the migrant rights debate, the Senate is set to begin debating legislation for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Minister for the NDIS, Jenny McAllister, expressed confidence in reaching an agreement with the Coalition on reforms, noting their public acknowledgment of the scheme's importance. McAllister assured that no participants would be left without support, emphasizing ongoing conversations about foundational supports and indicating that any changes to access would not occur before 2028.

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We’ve been really clear that we won’t leave people without supports and it’s why we’ve initiated a conversation about foundational supports well before any access changes. We don’t expect any changes to access to the scheme to occur until 2028.