National snapshot PM seeks US visas deal
AUSTRALIAN officials are seeking to strike a deal with the United States to secure preferential treatment for dual nationals who hail from socalled terror- source nations.
Canada and the UK have struck agreements with the Trump administration after the US President issued an executive order banning the US from taking in people from seven Muslim- majority coun- tries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.
The US Department of Homeland Security told reporters at the weekend 109 people who were in transit on planes had been denied entry and 173 had not been allowed to board their planes overseas.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in Canberra yesterday if individual cases arose Australia would take it up with US authorities.
However, he said he did not want to become a commentator on US domestic policies.
Immediately after the press conference, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong wrote to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop seeking advice on what action had been taken on behalf of dual nationals affected by the Trump decision. Two hours after Mr Turnbull’s comments, Ms Bishop issued a brief statement saying: “I have directed our officials in Washington DC to work with US of- ficials to ensure any preferential treatment extended to any other country in relation to travel and entry to the United States is extended to Australia.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it has not had any consular assistance requests from Australians unable to board aircraft.
The International Refugee Assistance Project said a 17year- old orphan from Afghanistan, whose entire family was killed by a landmine in Kabul, was not allowed on his flight home to the US.
Counter- terrorism expert and Labor MP Dr Anne Aly said if the decision was about national security, it targeted the wrong countries.
The men involved in the September 11 attacks on the US came from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump denies playing religion card: page 17