Government pushes visa, deportation powers

The Federal Government is considering new laws to cancel the visas of people convicted of serious crimes and even to initiate deportation procedures.

A supplied image obtained Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 of Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers during an operation at Raby in south-west Sydney. Source: NSW Police

It comes amid reports Cabinet is powerless to act against the tens of thousands of visa overstayers in Australia and follows calls for tougher measures to find them. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, saying criminals should not become citizens, has proposed a plan to automatically cancel the visas of those convicted of serious crimes. Mr Dutton, speaking on 3AW Radio in Melbourne, says people should not be rewarded for doing the wrong thing.

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