Australia Refuses Entry To 20 Malaysians Each Week Because Of Tourist Visa Abuse

ABC News reported on Wednesday, 3 July, that Australian Border Force officials are cancelling the electronic visitor visas of at least 20 Malaysians each week before they even clear immigration due to an "orchestrated scam" to gain access to the country.

1,779 Malaysians have had their visas cancelled between the period of July 2017 to February 2019.

Malaysians represent almost one third of all removals, despite making up fewer than one in 20 tourists to Australia.

"This represents an orchestrated scam that provides protection visa applicants the right to work in Australia until their claims are finalised," said Australia's Minister for Multicultural Affairs Jason Wood in the ABC News report.

Over 9,300 Malaysians have lodged protection visa applications from within Australia last year alone.

A protection visa would allow a person to legally live, work, and study in Australia, granted that they arrived with a valid visa and they fulfil other requirements.

For Malaysians whose claims are rejected, they can file for an appeal - which still allows them to stay in Australia with full work rights.

Nazuan Apis arrived in Australia on a three-month online tourist visa and sought farm work to earn extra income, reported Daily Mail.

A Malaysian work agent had approached him and offered to help him apply for a protection visa for only AUD100 (approximately RM290).

Nazuan and his 15 hoursemates applied for protection visas. He went on to live and work there for more than a year before returning to Malaysia.