Deportation drive

Police want all violent foreigners referred

SOFT-TOUCH judges have been accused of intentionally handing down lower sentences to foreign crooks so they can avoid deportation.

The Police Federation of Australia is calling for all violent criminals on visas to face deportation.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who has been strongly critical of the judiciary, said he was considering the recommendation.

New figures also show half of the 1284 non-citizens deported last year were Kiwis.

PFA boss Mark Burgess said New Zealand police sources had told him more than half of those were reoffending within two years.

Under tough laws introduced in 2014, anyone in Australia on a visa who is sentenced to 12 months or more in prison faces mandatory cancellation of their visa.

Mr Burgess, who heads up the organisation which represents 60,000 police in all states, said it was hearing from members that judges were handing down sentences of just under 12 months to avoid triggering the provision.

He said anyone convicted of violent crimes should be referred to the Department of Immigration regardless of the penalty imposed by the courts.

“If nothing else, it would weed out of our community people who might be a threat to our citizens,” he said.

Last month it was revealed magistrate Joan White talked openly in a Gold Coast court about ensuring Iranian refugee Behzad Bashiri did not lose his visa before giving him a suspended sentence.

Mr Dutton said it would be a concern if judges or magistrates were reducing sentences to avoid visa cancellations.

Earlier this month he said judges should “reflect community standards”, while he has previously accused Labor-appointed judges of handing down soft sentences.

Queensland Chief Justice Catherine Holmes this month said parliamentarians should curb their criticism of controversial sentences or risk damaging the public’s confidence in the judiciary.

After New Zealand, the UK is the next-highest country of origin for non-citizens facing deportation, with 137 British criminals facing deportation from Australia. After this it is Vietnam with 48 and Sudan with 37 people facing visa cancellation due to crimes.