Unreleased Liberal Migration Ban Draft Exposed

According to The Guardian, an extremely hardline internal migration policy draft from the Liberal Party has been leaked.

The document proposed potentially banning migrants from 37 regions across 13 countries from entering Australia in the future. These regions are primarily located in parts of the Middle East and Africa designated as being controlled by terrorist organizations, including Gaza, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The draft also suggested fast-tracking the deportation of tens of thousands of asylum seekers and international students, limiting migrants’ appeal rights, and strengthening scrutiny of applicants’ social media activity to screen for extremist tendencies.

However, the document did not go through formal Liberal Party procedures. Opposition leader Angus Taylor clearly stated that he had never seen the document, and it was never formally considered by the shadow cabinet or within the party, meaning it holds no actual policy authority. Former Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Scarr also publicly denied proposing or agreeing to such a sweeping ban and expressed “serious concerns” about the proposal.

The leak has sparked criticism from moderate factions within the party and from the broader public, who argue that broad bans targeting specific regions could deepen social division and invite accusations of racial discrimination. Nevertheless, Taylor has indicated he will still pursue stricter migration screening policies in the future, emphasizing that migrants must align with Australia’s core values.