Migrants hoping to become Australian citizens are cautiously celebrating the major setback dealt to the government’s citizenship proposals.
The Turnbull Government had proposed extending permanent residency requirements including a stricter English language test and a new values test, but legislation was thrown out of the Senate on Wednesday.
French photographer Josselin Cornou told SBS News his life had been in limbo since April when the proposed changes were announced.
"I really want to become Australian citizen, that's something actually really close to my heart. Being able to become a citizen soon is a relief for me," he said.
"Finally I can start thinking about representing Australia in photographic competitions and things like that."
Italian migrant Sara Balsamini, who has been living in Australia since 2009 and made her application in May, said she was shocked at the government's intentions.
“I could just not believe the intention was to apply those changes retrospectively,” she said.
“Being now told that I wasn't good enough to become a citizen just a couple of weeks away from my eligibility was devastating.”
She has spent the last few months campaigning against the government’s proposal.
“I met people in much worse situations than I am; people that can’t go back to their country, people that are waiting for an Australian passport to just have a normal life.”
Penny Howard from advocacy group Fair Go for Migrants said she made her application for citizenship in September.
“We estimate 80,000 people have been affected by [Immigration Minister] Peter Dutton's determination to apply this disastrous bill retrospectively to every application received for the last six months,” she said.
Migrant and refugee groups came together in Sydney on Thursday to celebrate the citizenship bill’s demise.
“Not a single organisation beyond [Minister Dutton’s] own department gave support to the propositions in his bill,” Ms Howard said.
The Chinese Community Council’s Tony Pun said he would have failed the English test when he first moved to Australia.
“It's irrational and it prevents people from contributing to this beautiful country of ours,” he said.
“This country is built on the backbone of immigrants. Why would we want to shove them off?”
Peter Dutton has indicated he has not given up on the package and wanted to soften some of its controversial aspects in a bid to revive it.
“We say give it up but if you do [try to revive it], we are ready to stand up for multiculturalism in Australia again,” Penny Howard said.
“We're going to watch them with an eagle eye to make sure, once they pounce again, we will block them halfway before they even land,” Mr Pun said.
“Don't try it again, Mr Dutton, we'll be ready.”
