The Turnbull government's controversial citizenship changes have suffered a major blow in the Senate despite a last-ditch bid by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for crossbench support.
Thousands of migrants are no longer in limbo after plans to make it harder to become an Australian citizen were killed off in the Senate.
A spokesperson for Mr Dutton has confirmed to SBS News that migrants who have already put in applications for citizenship, and those who still plan to, will be assessed under current requirements rather than the tougher measures announced by the government earlier this year.
The changes included making permanent residents wait four years to apply instead of one, introducing university-level English language tests and giving extra powers to the immigration minister.
The revised start date for the changes would be from 1 July 2018 if the government can seal a deal to get them through parliament.
SBS News understands all applications received until then will be processed under the existing law.
A rarely used tactical move pulled by the Greens resulted in the legislation being struck from the Senate notice paper after the Coalition failed to meet a 7:20pm deadline to bring it on for debate in the upper house on Wednesday.
“There are many thousands of people whose lives have basically been put on hold by Peter Dutton and from today those people can move forward with their lives, make choices about their future and have confidence that their applications will be assessed under the current legislation,” Greens Senator Nick McKim told SBS News.
Mr Dutton tried to gain crossbench support by offering to water down some of the more controversial parts of the bill including the English language requirements.
Support from the Nick Xenophon Team voting bloc is crucial for the government if it is to pass the legislation but NXT has, so far, said it will not budge.
The government can re-introduce the citizenship bill but will need Senate support to do so.
A spokesperson for Mr Dutton said the government was committed to strengthening citizenship and negotiations would continue with the independent senators.
The Senate had given the government until Wednesday to allow debate on its legislation or have it struck out by default.
Opposition Happy!
As those affected kept an eye on the proceedings of the parliament, Tony Burke pre-empted the news with an announcement in the House of Representatives in the early afternoon, advising that “with the conclusion of government business in the Senate a few minutes ago, it means that the government’s citizenship bill will today be struck from the notice paper of the Senate and will no longer be before the parliament."
Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Australia Tony Burke said, “This is a great victory for every person who wants to pledge allegiance to this country and make a commitment to Australia."
“The delay where some people would wait more than a decade before they made a pledge to Australia, has been rejected. The demand for university-level English has been rejected.
“I would urge those, celebrating this moment, who were involved in the campaign all around Australia, this government will try again and if under current law, you are able to apply now, I would recommend you to do so.
“And I recommend to the Department of Immigration those applications which are waiting, should now be processed.”
