- Citizenship by conferral would be extended to eight years, up from a current one
- She said more rigorous safeguards were needed to stave off ‘bad characters’
- Hanson argued eight years of permanent residency shouldn’t matter to migrants
Pauline Hanson wants to make it more difficult for migrants to become Australian citizens in case they turn out to be criminals.
The One Nation party leader proposed that migrants live in Australia eight years before acquiring citizenship by conferral, significantly longer than the current one year requirement.
In a bill presented to Federal Parliament Wednesday, Ms Hanson said there should be more rigorous safeguards in place to protect the country from ‘bad characters’, SBS reports.
Pauline Hanson (pictured) proposed that migrants live in Australia eight years before acquiring citizenship by conferral
Under the Federal Government’s proposed legislation, it wants the waiting period for permanent residents to achieve citizenship to be extended to four years – but this move has been harshly opposed by migrants groups.
Ms Hanson believed having migrants on permanent resident status for longer would make them easier to ‘get rid of’ if they ‘want to go and fight for ISIS’.
‘If these people want to become Australian citizens, what’s the problem in being permanent residents for eight years,’ Ms Hanson said.
‘Once these people become Australian citizens, it becomes very difficult to get rid of them if they are a bad character, want to go and fight for ISIS or they are actually criminals’.
Ms Hanson believed having migrants on permanent resident status for longer would make them easier to ‘get rid of’ (Malcolm Turnbull pictured presenting citizenship certificates)
The Queensland senator said immigrants should prove their ‘worth to us’ by ‘behaving in a manner consistent with the Australian values’.
The amendments may not go beyond the Senate however, given Labor and the Greens opposition to making it difficult for migrants to gain citizenship.
Permanent residency gives people the right to live in Australia indefinitely, while citizenship grants them rights to vote and access to Government support.
Ms Hanson said there should be more rigorous safeguards in place to protect the country from ‘bad characters’