The federal government wants to be able to reject foreigners from seeking Australia's protection if they do not face a real risk of significant harm back home.
Legislation introduced to parliament on Wednesday tightens Australia's obligations for those seeking complementary protection visas.
The visa category helps those who are not refugees but can't be sent home for fear of being harmed - for example, women at risk of female genital mutilation.
The new rules would mean individuals can be returned if their homeland has measures to protect them, if they can relocate to safe parts of their country or if they actually don't face a real risk of peril.
In the past, some people have been found to need protection only because they sold adult movies or alcohol in countries which punish such activities.
Others committed crimes or were involved in criminal gangs before fleeing to Australia.
"This bill will diminish the likelihood of such persons being granted Australia's protection," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told parliament on Wednesday.
Under the legislation, if applicants can sort out their behaviour and avoid being harmed, they will be rejected.
Those who seek help if their government as a whole is accused of human rights violations would also be refused - but not if they're individually affected.
The government originally wanted to abolish complementary protection visas entirely but reneged facing parliamentary pressure.
So it's tightening the rules around qualification instead.
