By Aneeka Simonis
FOREIGN youth gangsters’ time in Australia may soon end as the Federal Government gets underway with its immigration inquiry seeking to throw out violent ethic offenders.
The inquiry – chaired by La Trobe MP Jason Wood – will focus on youth gang offenders, and could lead to a complete overhaul in the character test and other migrant settlement procedures.
The first public hearing is proposed to take place early next year in La Trobe, home to some of the state’s worst Apex and youth gang offending.
Weeks ago, it was revealed two foreign youths with suspected links to the notorious Apex gang were to be deported, and that more were expected to be exiled due to violent convictions.
Mr Wood, a former national terrorism police officer who was victim to a recent aggravated burglary, said serious foreign criminals shouldn’t be allowed back onto the streets to re-offend.
He fears if something isn’t done about it now, it may end up far worse.
“We are having juveniles commit violent crime after violent crime. The greatest concern I have is once they become adults and enter the prison system, they will have various violent extremism and radical groups convert them,” he said.
“It’s a cocktail for disaster.”
He said Apex gangsters and other foreign criminals “relinquish their rights” to life if Australia and should have their visas revoked.
The immigration inquiry will look at the effectiveness of settlement services to see if more could be done to help integrate new arrivals.
It will investigate the importance of English language in determining migrants’ ability to settle.
The character test – used to determine migrants’ suitability – may also be scrapped and replaced with a tougher measure.
Under the Migration Act, the minister can cancel or refuse visas to offenders with a “substantial criminal record” such as 12-months imprisonment.
A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokesperson could not say if recommendations by the migration committee would be legislated.
The department cancelled 173 criminal visas in the 2015-’16 financial year.
Some 40 per cent more aggravated burglary offences were recorded across the state in the 12-month period.
A significant proportion of the state’s aggravated burglary offences occurred in the crime-stricken south-east regions of Cardinia, Casey and Dandenong which accounted for a sixth of the state’s total offence count.
The migration inquiry committee will be taking public submissions until 31 January, 2017. Public hearings will begin from February.
