The shadow minister for immigration in Susan Ley’s team said he had “serious concerns” about a proposal to ban entry for migrants from specific regions in 13 countries—including the Gaza Strip, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The measures are contained in a hardline immigration policy plan by the Liberal Party that was leaked to the press.
The list of prohibited territories was drawn up on the basis of areas where terrorist organizations exercise de facto territorial control. The document was prepared before Ley lost her position as party leader on Friday.
In total, the ban would apply to 37 specific regions across Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, the Philippines, Somalia, and Yemen.
The plan was not submitted for discussion to the shadow cabinet prior to the change in leadership, and the new opposition leader, Angus Taylor, has not reviewed the document.
Commenting on the leaks, Scarr, who served as shadow minister for immigration until Friday, stressed that he did not support such initiatives. “I never proposed such a policy. I never agreed with such a policy. I have a range of serious concerns about any measures of this kind,” he said.
It is also known that Scarr raised internal objections at an early stage, when the idea of a ban was still under discussion.
Beyond regional restrictions, the Liberal Party’s plan envisaged the accelerated removal from Australia of up to 100,000 asylum seekers and foreign students. Visa holders could have their rights to appeal immigration decisions curtailed, and the option to transition to other visa categories closed.
Ley had intended to present the package of measures in December, but publication was delayed following the Bondi attack. She then planned to release the document on February 16 and devote the current week to applying pressure on the government, but lost the leadership contest to Taylor before doing so.
According to available information, the plan included enhanced screening of social media and other public statements by prospective migrants to identify extremist views. It was also aimed at reducing the number of student visas and lowering overall levels of permanent migration.
As of January 31, 50,686 appeals related to the refusal, cancellation, or non-renewal of student visas had been lodged with the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). In addition, more than 48,000 rejected asylum seekers challenged decisions by the Department of Home Affairs through the same tribunal.
The ART said that of all protection visa applications finalised between July 1 and December 31, 2025, half were resolved within three years and six months, while 95% were completed within five years and five months.
Taylor has identified migration as one of the central pillars of his agenda, saying in his first speech in the role: “The numbers were too high, and the standards—too low.”
On Friday, he told journalists: “If people want to come to this country but do not believe in democracy, the rule of law, and our basic freedoms, that is a problem—and it is unacceptable. The truth is that some do not want to change in order to align with our core values.”
A senior Liberal Party MP said he expected Taylor to further harden his rhetoric on immigration and to add additional measures to the plan developed under Ley.