Cloud over Iran visa ban

EXCLUSIVE Indonesia retaliation looms for phone taps

INDONESIA could review its freeze on allowing Iranians to apply for visas- on- arrival, potentially opening the way for a new wave of asylumseekers to Australia.

As the eavesdropping scandal deepened, the spokesman for the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Teuku Faizasyah, told News Corp Australia, cryptically: ‘‘It is also our policy to review visa policy from time to time.’’

It was reported in both Australia and Indonesia that the visa ban for Iranians, which was announced in July and put into effect in August, come about after a personal request from then prime minister Kevin Rudd to President Yudhoyono.

But Mr Faizasyah disputes the perception that Indonesia ceased issuing visas- onarrival as a favour to Australia, which was concerned that many Iranians were arriving direct from Tehran in large tour groups and heading straight for the boats.

‘‘The decision to revoke or grant visas-on-arrival to certain countries is based on our interest,’’ Mr Faizasyah said.

‘‘ If we found substantial evidence of abuse to that facility then we revoke it. That is what happened with Iran following a large number of drug cases by Iranians.’’

The visa ban was seen as having a bigger long-term impact on slowing the boats than Mr Rudd’s PNG solution, which was announced around the same time.

Iranians, who since 2010 have easily outnumbered Afghan Hazaras as the largest cohort of boat arrivals, have since August no longer been able to fly direct to Jakarta from Tehran on instant 30- day visas, slowing the problem at its source.

When Indonesia announced the freeze, Mr Rudd’s office confirmed he had made a personal request of the Indonesian President to end visas-onarrival for Iranians.

There were a reported 17,543 visas-on-arrival issued to Iranians in Indonesia in 2012, many of whom were believed to be seeking asylum.

The then foreign minister, Bob Carr, celebrated the Indonesian decision as a victory against the smugglers.

‘‘One of the things that people smugglers have been doing has been to collect Iranians who fly out of Tehran, land in Jakarta and pay what’s said to be $25 for a visa,’’ he said at the time. ‘‘The fact that this practice is going to be curbed means the economic basis, the legal basis for people-smuggling, is dealt a serious blow.’’

Indonesia has in recent days put a moratorium on all assistance to Australia with people-smuggling issues.

The reality is that the cooperation was extremely limited even before the spying scandal with Indonesia’s effort confined to a small people-smuggling desk.

Any lift on the Iranian visa freeze would be the most direct way of punishing Australia for listening to the phone calls of the President and First Lady.