Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on measures the government is taking to ensure the safety of all Australians given the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Barton for his question. It was good to be with the member for Barton on Saturday at National Mosque Open Day at the Masjid Arrahman Mosque in Kingsgrove. As I know, the member for Banks and the member for Reid were at the Lakemba mosque on Saturday and I commend the LMA on National Mosque Open Day. But in relation to the matter he has raised, the government has strong controls for the entry of persons to Australia, under our immigration program, from West Africa. These measures have been put in place in partnership with the Minister for Health who leads the government's response. These measures include temporarily suspending our immigration program, including our humanitarian program, from EVD affected countries. This means we are not processing any application from these affected countries.

We are ensuring all prior humanitarian entrants have been subject to three separate health checks before their departure, as well as being subjected to on-arrival screening processes and post-arrival monitoring. Other permanent visa holders who have not yet arrived in Australia are being required to submit to a 21-day quarantine period prior to their departure to Australia. We are cancelling and refusing non-permanent or temporary visas for persons from EBV affected countries that have not yet departed for Australia.

In addition, in August, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, through the National Border Targeting Centre, introduced a new profile to assist screening of arrivals into Australia. That has resulted in more than 830 matches who have been referred on for further assessment by other offices. None of those persons, I note, has been required to be referred to a hospital on their arrival.

The government systems and processes are working to protect Australians, and that is our focus in addressing this issue. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service are doing their bit as part of this broader government effort. My message to those who are returning to Australia or travelling to Australia is: request that you alert our border officers if you have been in West Africa up to 21 days prior to your arrival, and provide details of your travel history as requested. This is especially important if you have had a broken journey en route to Australia. I also ask that you please pay careful attention to the information provided to you before arrival, upon arrival and as you leave the airport. I thank our Customs and Border Protection Service officers and those involved in performing their very important duties at our border at this time.