Pauline Hanson has called on the Albanese Government to immediately stop issuing humanitarian visas to Palestinians and to deport those already in Australia, now that a ceasefire has been declared in Gaza.
Her comments come after Hamas released the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal, while Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
US President Donald Trump hailed the truce as the official end of the two-year war that has destabilised the Middle East.
‘Today I’ve written to the Prime Minister to demand an immediate halt to new 786 visas for Palestinians and to begin returning those here temporarily, now that the war in Gaza has ended,’ Senator Hanson said.
‘The conflict is over. Rebuilding has begun. That means it’s time for those who have been granted temporary protection to return home – just as Australians would be expected to do if the roles were reversed,’ she said.
‘Temporary visas are meant to be just that – temporary,’ she said.
‘We must remember, here at home, we’re facing a housing crisis. Essential workers can’t find rentals. Families are sleeping in cars. Young Aussies are priced out of a future. Every extra burden, no matter how small, adds pressure to a system already under strain,’ Ms Hanson wrote.
‘Australians have shown compassion, but it’s time for the Albanese Government to put our people first. Charity begins at home.’
Between June 12, 2024, and June 12, 2025, a total of 909 Palestinians were granted subclass 786 humanitarian visas.
Pauline Hanson (pictured) called for 786 visa holders from Palestine to leave Australia
Hanson said that with the war now over, it made sense for 786 visa holders to return home (file)
The visa allows holders to live and work in Australia for up to three years and access services such as Medicare.
Separate data shows that 3,449 visas were issued to Palestinians in the months immediately following the Hamas attacks – between October 7 and December 31 last year.
About 1,920 Palestinians actually arrived in Australia during that period, while many others became trapped in Gaza after Israel sealed its borders.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Monday the government’s priority was assisting remaining visa holders still stuck in Gaza before considering new applicants from the war-torn territory.
‘They’ve been checked by our security intelligence agencies a number of times,’ Mr Burke told the ABC’s News Breakfast.
‘They have family connections to Australia, and they are the people that we’re focusing on.
‘There were some of them, for example – a couple of people who’d been hiding in a church for 18 months – who came through Sydney Airport a few weeks ago.’
Asked how many were likely to come to Australia, Mr Burke said up to 700 could arrive.
‘The number of visa holders who are still there is in the order of 600 to 700 … and there has never been a group where we have conducted more security checks,’ Mr Burke said.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles praised Trump for his role in brokering the peace deal.
‘It is an incredible achievement on the part of Donald Trump and it is one that is very much going to be remembered by history,’ he told Sky News on Tuesday.
Almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees have also been freed by Israel.
Israel launched a two-year military offensive on Gaza that killed more than 67,000 people, including about 20,000 children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The campaign was in response to Hamas’s surprise attack, which killed about 1,200 people and led to the capture of another 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
