“Deeply racist and profoundly dangerous”: ASC condemns Coalition’s immigration policies

Sydney, 14 April 2026 — In response to the Coalition’s newly announced immigration policies, the Asylum Seekers Centre warns the proposals risk entrenching discrimination and punishing people seeking safety in Australia.

The policy platform includes reintroducing temporary protection visas, limiting access to basic services for non-citizens, and introducing stricter deportation measures. It raises serious concerns by singling out people from certain countries as a “high risk” cohort. The opposition leader also indicated a Coalition government would determine the circumstances in which refugee protections apply, despite Australia’s international obligations under the Refugee Convention.

The Asylum Seekers Centre said the approach echoes harmful narratives that divide communities and misrepresent the realities of seeking protection.

Asylum Seekers Centre CEO and former refugee Elijah Buol OAM said:

“Angus Taylor’s remarks repeat a well‑worn strategy of racialised division that Australians have rejected before. This approach does nothing to strengthen our country, it simply targets people who are already vulnerable. These policies being promoted risk placing Australia in breach of international law and our obligations to protect people seeking safety.

“Today, Mr Taylor shifted from dogwhistling to open provocation. His language was overtly racialised and deliberately inflammatory. When political rhetoric turns people fleeing persecution into convenient targets, it abandons the basic principles of justice, dignity, and humanity that Australians expect from their leaders.

“People who seek safety from unimaginable danger, who come here to rebuild their lives in safety and contribute to their communities, will be the ones who suffer.

“Singling out people from certain countries as inherently ‘high risk’ is deeply racist and profoundly dangerous. It paints entire communities with a brush of suspicion and risks legitimising discrimination against people already facing immense trauma.

“Policies that frame entire groups of people as risks based on where they come from are not only inaccurate, they are dangerous. They erode the very foundations of a fair and inclusive society.

“Reintroducing temporary protection visas would once again trap people in limbo, denying them certainty, stability, and the ability to rebuild their lives. We have seen the harm this causes – prolonged mental distress, family separation, and barriers to meaningful participation in the community.

“Further restricting access to basic support risks pushing vulnerable people deeper into poverty and exclusion. This does not strengthen communities, it weakens them.

“Seeking protection is a human right. It should never be conditional on nationality, religion, or so-called values-based discrimination. Australia’s strength lies in its diversity, not in policies that attempt to rank human worth.

“These proposals would risk taking Australia backwards, away from fairness, compassion, and evidence-based policy, and towards division and fear.

“We call on all political leaders to reject measures that discriminate and exclude, and instead commit to building a migration system grounded in dignity and fairness for all.”

— ENDS —

Media contact:

For further information or to request an interview, contact Maddison Bates-Willis on 0401 244 296 or maddison@asylumseekerscentre.org.au