Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia is deeply concerned by the rushed passage of new legislation granting the Federal Government broad powers to prevent certain temporary visa holders from travelling to Australia. 

The Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No.1) Bill 2026, passed late last week, allows the Minister for Home Affairs to make an “arrival control determination” suspending the ability of certain temporary visa holders from travelling to Australia for up to six months at a time. 

These powers mean that people who have already been granted visas through Australia’s lawful migration processes may now be prevented from travelling simply because of where they come from. This includes people who have spent years waiting for the opportunity to study or visit family. 

At a time when families across the Middles East are facing violence and uncertainty, these laws represent a cruel decision by the Federal Government to further prevent vulnerable people from accessing safety and continuing their life plans. 

It is also a stark contrast to the Government’s treatment of members of the Iranian women’s football team, who were granted protection visas only moments before these laws came into effect.  

This highlights the discriminatory, hasty, and arbitrary nature of these legislative changes. 

We work every day alongside ordinary people who have fled conflict, persecution, and hardship. We see their strength and dignity as they seek to maintain family connections and build safe futures in the midst of extraordinary difficulty. 

We also witness the profound impact that both visa discrimination and forced separation have on individuals and families. 

Many Iranian and Lebanese Australians are deeply worried about loved ones overseas, and now feel that the Federal Government has abandoned them and their families.  

Preventing travel in these circumstances risks compounding the suffering of people already living through war and upheaval. 

This conflict also highlights the urgent need for real solutions for people who are already here. 

There are thousands of Iranian nationals connected to Australia’s migration system, including more than 7,000 people with valid visas who are currently overseas and may be affected by these new restrictions.  

At the same time, many Iranians already living in Australia have spent years in uncertainty while their protection claims remain unresolved. People from Iran are among the longest-standing groups of people seeking asylum in the JRS Australia community. 

As the situation in Iran deteriorates and the risks of return become even clearer, it is increasingly difficult to justify leaving people in prolonged limbo without a durable pathway to safety. 

The contrast is stark: while members of the Iranian women’s football team were rightly offered protection and a pathway forward, many other Iranian people in our community continue to wait years for their status to be resolved: years spent without safety, permanency or the opportunity to see loved ones. 

Australia should ensure the same fairness and certainty for all people who cannot safely return home. 

We believe Australia can and should offer a humanitarian response to global crises. 

Our migration policies must uphold the dignity of every person and avoid measures that unfairly punish individuals because of circumstances beyond their control. 

JRS Australia calls on the Government to: 

• Ensure people who have been granted valid visas are able to travel to Australia lawfully and safely. 

• Provide stronger and more durable protection for people from conflict-affected regions already living in Australia, who cannot safely return home. 

• Avoid policies that discriminate against rather than offer protection to people facing conflict in their home countries. 

• Uphold Australia’s longstanding commitment to fairness, humanity, and protection for people affected by war and persecution, consistent with the Refugee Convention. 

Fr Brett O’Neill SJ, Country Director of JRS Australia, said: 

“People who have followed our rules and obtained a visa should not suddenly find the door closed because of where they come from.” 

“At a time when communities are already living through the trauma of war, our response should be one of welcome, and moral leadership.” 

“We see every day the resilience of people who have fled danger and are trying to rebuild their lives. Our policies should reflect the compassion and fairness that Australians value.”