Australia granted asylum to a handful of Iranian footballers while simultaneously tightening migration laws that shut the door on thousands more, writes DrBinoy Kampmark.

WHEN IT COMES TO asylum seekers, the Australian political machine has prided itself on using cruelty and a purposely obtuse understanding of international law.

Bolted sovereignty has been elevated over rights and humanitarianism, while political interests have abominated the dark, hungering hordes heading to the island continent on unseaworthy boats. From the early 1990s, theUN Refugee Conventionbecame increasingly clipped, its applicability scorned in domestic politics.

By the time the conservative government ofJohn Howardassumed power in 1996, turning Australia into a vast village of suspicious citizens suffering from arrested development, the asylum seeker became electoral bait, hooked on fishing lines to lure in voters worried their comfortable lives would somehow be ruffled by the dark, brooding arrivals fleeing war-torn areas and predatory regimes.

From then on, a public relations machine was developed to dissuade and horrify those willing to make the journey to the fatal shore. Money was sunk into advertisements distributed through the Middle East, warning those wishing to make their way across the seas. In February 2014, for instance, Australian authoritiespromoted a campaignwith the slogan: No way. They will not make Australia home.

As the Iran conflict escalates, religious rhetoric from claims of divine missions to apocalyptic prophecy is increasingly shaping the language and politics of war.

Starring in this squalid effort was a graphic novel depicting asylum seekers in a detention centre suffering from enervating distress. Reality television shows mocking the unsuspecting foreigner at customs, such asBorder Security, also became celluloid staples.

In March, the public exploitation of the asylum seeker suddenly switched. The Iranian womens football team, participating in the AFC Womens Asian Cup on Australian soil, had presented a magnificent opportunity to show that an Australian government might appreciate the asylum claims of those fleeing a Middle East regime.

Prior to their match against South Korea, they hadfailed to sing the national anthem, prompting savage criticism by commentators back home.

The establishment was initially unclear about what to do. Journalists gathered on the ABCsInsiders, an apt name suggesting how close Australias political scribes are to the linen and contents of power, gave an unspeakable display, refusing to emphasise the innate right to seek asylum.

Fuzzy, fudged propositions were gingerly advanced: the visas of the team stay might be adjusted for a lengthier stay; some consideration for their welfare would be given; the Iranian regime was savage, propagandistic and so forth. But asylum remained dirty, ranking lower than fuck in the national broadcasters list of naughty words.

That display was all the more contemptible given that Australia was in wholehearted agreement with the illegal attack on Iran, having refused to call it a breach of theUnited Nations Charter.

This, however, was too good a chance for the Albanese Government to miss. The script was writing itself: oppressed women imprisoned in their hotel rooms; oppressive clerical regime in Tehran; fear, terror and surveillance. A mother reportedlywarningher daughter not to return, as theyll kill you.

Then came aninterventionfrom US President Donald J Trump, insisting Canberra was making a terrible mistake in permitting the squad to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Grant them asylum, came the call.

The grant of humanitarian visas for seven team members duly followed, though five, fearful for their family and assets in Iran, have sincechanged their minds. Transport MinisterCatherine Kingtried to be wise,statingthat every effort had been made to encourage them to stay. Rather despicably, she expressed pride that Australia has offered that choice to these women.

An Australian family holidaying in Dubai recounts the surreal experience of missile alerts, flight cancellations and limited government assistance as they scrambled to find a way home.

While there was much congratulatory backslapping for the granting of the humanitarian visas, the Janus-faced nature of Australias migration policy remained in play. Hours after the grant, the Albanese Government introduced changes to theMigration Act 1958 (Cth)in the form of theMigration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026 (Cth), granting the Home Affairs Minister powers to block those already granted temporary visas from visiting Australia.

According to Home Affairs officials in a 1.5-hour committee hearing regarding the hurried amendments, the travel banwould endurefor six to 12 months, affecting anywhere up to 61,000 visa holders from the Middle East.

The Coalition found good reasons for the changes. As Liberal SenatorJonathon Duniamreasoned, one hadevery reasonto be suspicious of those from a region subject to conflict who given temporary travel documents, be it a visitor or tourist visa, that they would stay beyond the expiry of that visa, potentially to seek asylum and perhaps stay on illegally.(How opportunistic those fleeing war can be!)

To salve his conscience and those of his party members, Duniam stated that such suspensions were temporary in nature:

Greens immigration spokesman, SenatorDavid Shoebridge, distilled thenature of the changesto reporters in Canberra:

Whenspeaking againstthe amendments in Parliament, Shoebridge found it churningly grotesque that these individuals:

The measures had been introduced, thought Shoebridge, in a fit of fear about being outflanked by One Nation. You are responding to the Islamophobia of One Nation.

Behind the language of morality and law, Irans theocracy has spent decades protecting abusers and punishing their victims.

The Australian Greens Leader, SenatorLarissa Waters,observedthe distasteful nature of the Home Affairs MinisterTony Burkes self-lionising for providing asylum to a handful of Iranian young women whove distinguished themselves on the soccer field while at the same time shutting the door on thousands more who already had the right to come to Australia. Youve really rewritten the rules on how cruel a government can be.

Independent SenatorLidia Thorpewas even more derisory,tellingher fellow parliamentarians that this was Labors new White Australia policy. It was fitting for a government that proved to be the first in the world to congratulate Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu for their illegal bombing of Iran.

Canberra had also added its contribution to the conflict by sending defence personnel and an aircraft to the Gulf.

Thorpe said:

Like Shoebridge and Waters, Thorpe saw the race card at generous play, an example of how Labor, the Coalition and One Nation are all competing to be the cruellest and most racist because they think this is the path to political success.

Thorpe can be taken to task at times for being so strident as to misshape an argument, but the spirit of cynicism shown by this government has been something to behold.

Paul Power, co-CEO of theRefugee Council of Australia,sawan appropriately ghastly historical parallel in the proposed amendments. In the late 1930s, countries closed their doors to European Jews deprived of their citizenship.

At theEvian Conference, convened in July 1938, delegates from 32 countries, including Australia, affirmed their general reluctance to admit Jewish refugees. The dark star of the conference was Australias Trade and Customs Minister,Thomas White, who declared that Australia would not help because it did not want to import a racial problem.

Governments come and go, but opportunism remains eternal.

DrBinoy Kampmarkwas a Cambridge Scholar and is a lecturer atRMIT University. You can follow Dr Kampmark@BKampmark.

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