Australia cancelled 800 foreigners'' visas in 2018

Canberra, January 7

Australia cancelled the visas of over 800 foreigners last year who committed serious crimes, including paedophilia, domestic violence, rape, armed robbery and murder, officials said on Monday.

About 500 visas were annulled for criminals committing violent crimes, including 13 murders, 125 assaults and 56 armed robberies, Efe news quoted the Ministry of Home Affairs as saying in a statement.

From the total of these foreigners, who were or will be deported from the country, about 100 were implicated in sexual crimes against minors, pornography or child exploitation, while another 53 were convicted of domestic violence and 34 for rape.

"There's no place in our country for people who come here and harm Australians," Peter Dutton, Home Affairs Minister, said in the statement.

"We welcome people from all over the world, but those few who think they can live in Australia and be involved in criminal actions need to know they won't be staying long," Dutton said.

In the last five years, the Liberal-National coalition government has cancelled the visas of 4,150 foreigners implicated in serious crimes.

Since 2014, Australian law has allowed the cancellation of visas to foreigners given jail terms of more than 12 months or to those committing child sexual abuse.

IANS