Politics

JobKeeper Payment a gun to the heads of over one million temporary entrants

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new JobKeeper payment but there is no assistance for one million temporary residents (ScreenShot via YouTube)

The JobKeeper Payment is a massive tourniquet for the Australian economy and society. But for over one million temporary entrants, the allowance is a gun to their head.

While this allowance comes weeks late and represents possibly the biggest policy backflip in Australian history, it is desperately needed.

Precisely because it encourages employers to maintain their Australian and New Zealand citizen workforce, very few employers will have an incentive to retain any employee who is the holder of a temporary entry visa other than NZ citizens.

 

Who is at risk

The allowance will dramatically accelerate the sacking of temporary entrants such as:

  • around 500,000 international students; 
  • 140,000 working holidaymakers; 
  • 120,000 skilled temporary entrants;
  • 90,000 temporary graduates; 
  • over 200,000 bridging visa holders, most of whom are either partner visa applicants or asylum seekers; and
  • over 16,000 temporary protection visa holders.

In addition, there are around 60,000 overstayers as well as an unknown number of people on visitor visas — as we do not know how many of the 600,000 visitors in Australia in December 2019 have gone home.

Remember that very few of these people have any social support to fall back on, even though, in most cases, they have been paying the full rate of income tax.

Many will not be able to find a flight home or will not have the money to pay for such a flight. Some are in genuine fear of persecution if they return home.

Unless the Federal Government acts soon, it will have created a humanitarian disaster within Australia.

Assuming the Government does not wish to extend the JobKeeper Payment to temporary entrants, what should it do to avert this humanitarian disaster?

How can a humanitarian crisis be avoided?

The following steps need to be undertaken by the relevant ministers.

Step 1. (and 6.) Immigration Minister David Coleman

First, the immigration minister should announce regulations implementing a blanket rule automatically providing all temporary entrants in Australia – including visitors currently in Australia – whose visas will expire before 30 June 2019, with a new visa of the same type they currently hold, with validity until 31 August 2019.

This assumes we will have passed the peak of the crisis by then and people will be able to more readily get home. It would significantly reduce the number of temporary entrants going into Home Affairs offices, thus helping to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Step 2. Health Minister Greg Hunt

Second, the health minister should create a new Medicare item enabling all temporary entrants and overstayers to attend a doctor – including by telehealth if appropriate – at no cost if they have flu symptoms or may have been in contact with someone who has recently returned from overseas.

This provision should also cover – if needed – the costs of a coronavirus test and hospital treatment. Overstayers would be given an assurance that they would not be reported to Home Affairs or Borderforce if they come forward to a doctor.

Once again, the objective would be to reduce the spread of the virus.

Steps 3. and 4. Social Services Minister Anne Ruston

Third, the social services minister should issue regulations enabling all temporary entrants with work rights currently in Australia – including NZ citizens and visitors if they must self-isolate – with access to special benefits until 31 July 2020, given many will lose their jobs and will find it difficult to get home.

Note access to special benefit requires applicants to establish financial hardship and hence that will limit take up. Nevertheless, it is important applicants can undertake this process online and/or over the telephone to minimise risks of further queues at Centrelink offices.

Centrelink staff should be able to undertake identity checks in conjunction with the Department of Home Affairs.

Fourth, the social services minister should issue regulations providing a once-off payment equal to the cost of a flight home for temporary entrants (including visitors, overstayers and unsuccessful asylum seekers) without the financial capacity to get home.

The objective would be to prevent these people from becoming destitute. Arrangements with relevant foreign governments to compensate the Australian Government for these payments should be negotiated.

Step 5. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg

The treasurer should extend the job keeper allowance to any temporary entrant currently working in critical occupations such as health and aged care.

Steps 6 and 7. (and 1.) Immigration Minister David Coleman

Sixth, the immigration minister should then introduce a regulation enabling any temporary entrant working in these occupations to be able to secure a further 12-month visa of the type they are currently on by applying entirely online or over the telephone and on a no-application-fee basis.

This would ensure Australia has the staff it needs in these key occupations as the current health crisis escalates. At the end of the 12 months, these temporary entrants should also be provided with a clear pathway to permanent residence recognising the role they will have played in supporting Australians through the crisis.

Seventh, the immigration minister should increase places available for partners of Australian citizens and permanent residents in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 migration program. This should be possible without increasing the overall program as there will likely be a large shortfall in the overall program due to the coronavirus.

Australian citizens and permanent residents should not have to live separated from their partners at this difficult time.

Finally, noting it will not be possible to deliver the Offshore Humanitarian Program in 2019-20 or likely in 2020-21, the immigration minister should fast track permanent protection visas for the over 16,000 long-term temporary protection visa holders in Australia to take up the places freed up.

It is well beyond time that the Coalition Government recognised there is zero chance these people will ever be able to go home, so there is no point keeping them on temporary protection visas.

The Morrison Government needs to act on the above urgently to avoid a humanitarian disaster.

Abul Rizvi is an Independent Australia columnist and a former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration, currently undertaking a PhD on Australia’s immigration policies. You can follow Abul on Twitter @RizviAbul.

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