The Claim
“Proposed a plan to prioritise the applications of refugees who pay the government large sums of money over less fortunate refugees.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim contains significant factual elements, but the framing omits critical context. In July 2015, the Abbott government proposed expanding a pilot program established by the former Labor government in mid-2013. Under the proposal, refugees could have their visa applications fast-tracked if they paid a fee of approximately $19,000 and their families in Australia agreed to cover health and welfare costs [1].
Key verified facts:
- The proposal was real: The Department of Immigration and Border Protection released a discussion paper in 2015 outlining the expansion [1]
- The fee structure was $19,124 for the first applicant and $2,680 for subsequent applicants (about $30,000 for a family of five) [1]
- By March 2015, the existing pilot had raised over $2 million and granted visas to almost 670 people, primarily from Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Somalia [1]
- The 500 visas granted annually under the pilot were subtracted from Australia's overall humanitarian intake of 13,750 places [1]
- The proposal was modeled on Canada's private sponsorship program, which has operated since 1978 and resettled over 327,000 refugees [5]
However, the claim's framing as a Coalition initiative to prioritize "rich refugees" over "less fortunate refugees" is misleading because:
- The program was based on a pilot established by the Labor government in 2013 [1]
- Applicants still had to meet all humanitarian visa requirements, including being subject to persecution or substantial discrimination [1]
- The program did not increase overall refugee intake - it was cost recovery, not a "buy-a-visa" scheme [1]
Missing Context
The claim omits several crucial pieces of context that significantly alter the interpretation:
Labor Government Origins: The most significant omission is that this was not a Coalition invention. The pilot program was established by the Labor government in mid-2013, before the Coalition took office in September 2013 [1]. The Coalition was proposing to expand an existing Labor program, not create a new one. Refugee Council of Australia chief Paul Power acknowledged this: "the measures, based on a pilot established by the former Labor government" [1].
Humanitarian Requirements Remained: The Department of Immigration emphasized that this was not a "buy-a-visa" scheme [1]. Applicants still had to meet all standard humanitarian visa requirements including demonstrating they were "subject to persecution or substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country" and passing health, character, and security checks [1].
Cost Recovery Purpose: The fees were designed to recover resettlement costs, not to generate profit or create a tiered refugee system. The government position was that this allowed family reunification without reducing places for other refugees, as the 500 places came from within the existing humanitarian cap [1].
International Precedent: The proposal pointed to Canada's similar program established in 1978, which aimed to accept 6,500 people in 2015 [1]. Canada's private sponsorship program has since resettled over 327,000 refugees and is considered a global model [5].
Budget Context: The proposal came amid broader efforts to reduce resettlement costs. The government argued that families were willing to pay because it was often cheaper than providing long-term support to family members overseas [1].
Source Credibility Assessment
Original Source (Sydney Morning Herald):
The Sydney Morning Herald is a mainstream Australian newspaper with a reputation for factual reporting. The article by Nicole Hasham provides detailed information including direct quotes from both critics (Refugee Council) and the Department of Immigration, suggesting balanced coverage [1].
Potential Bias: While SMH is mainstream media, the article's headline emphasizes the "$19,000 fee" angle, which creates a more sensational framing. However, the article body does include the government's perspective and acknowledges the Labor origins of the pilot.
Credibility Rating: High - mainstream media with documented facts, though the headline framing could be seen as emphasizing the most controversial aspect.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government refugees fast track fee pilot 2013"
Finding: Yes - Labor established the pilot program in mid-2013.
The SMH article explicitly states: "It would expand a pilot set up in mid-2013, in which a $19,124 fee is charged to the first refugee and $2,680 for subsequent applicants" [1]. This pilot was established before the Coalition government took office in September 2013.
Comparison of approach:
- Labor (2013): Established the pilot program with the same $19,124 fee structure
- Coalition (2015): Proposed expanding the pilot with additional requirements for families to guarantee health and welfare costs, potentially including bank deposits
Both governments maintained:
- The same fee structure
- The same cap on places (500 annually, subtracted from humanitarian intake)
- The same core humanitarian visa requirements
- The same cost-recovery rationale
Labor's broader refugee policy context:
The Labor government (2007-2013) reinstated offshore processing in 2012 after previously dismantling it, and maintained strict asylum policies. From July 2012 to June 2024, Australian governments (both Labor and Coalition) spent $12 billion on offshore processing policies [2].
Balanced Perspective
The full story:
This claim presents the Coalition as uniquely proposing a system where refugees could pay for faster processing. However, the reality is more nuanced:
The program was bipartisan in origin. The pilot was established under Labor in 2013, and the Coalition's 2015 proposal was an expansion rather than a new invention [1].
The program had humanitarian intent. It was designed to facilitate family reunification for refugees with relatives in Australia who could support them. The 500 places came from within the existing humanitarian cap, meaning it didn't displace other refugees [1].
International precedent existed. The model was based on Canada's private sponsorship program, which has operated successfully since 1978 and resettled over 327,000 refugees [5]. This is considered a best-practice model internationally.
Cost vs. benefit trade-off. The government argued that the costs were often lower than providing long-term support to family members overseas. Families "are willing to pay the costs, which are often lower than providing long-term support to family members overseas" [1].
Legitimate criticisms. Refugee advocates raised valid concerns about equity - that it advantaged refugees with financially-resourced families in Australia over those without such support [1]. St Vincent De Paul expressed concern that it allowed the government to "abrogate responsibility to refugees it has pledged to protect" [1].
Key context: This was not unique to the Coalition - it was a continuation and expansion of a Labor pilot, based on international best practice, with safeguards to ensure only genuine refugees could participate.
PARTIALLY TRUE
5.0
out of 10
The claim is factually correct that the Coalition proposed expanding a program where refugees could pay fees for faster processing. However, the framing is misleading because:
- It omits that the program was based on a pilot established by the Labor government in 2013
- It implies this was a Coalition invention, when it was actually bipartisan policy
- It suggests refugees could "buy" visas without meeting humanitarian criteria, which was false
- It presents the fee as prioritizing "rich refugees" when the program was cost recovery within an existing cap
The claim would be more accurate if it acknowledged: "Proposed expanding a Labor-established pilot program allowing refugees with family in Australia to pay resettlement costs for faster processing, within the existing humanitarian intake cap."
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The claim is factually correct that the Coalition proposed expanding a program where refugees could pay fees for faster processing. However, the framing is misleading because:
- It omits that the program was based on a pilot established by the Labor government in 2013
- It implies this was a Coalition invention, when it was actually bipartisan policy
- It suggests refugees could "buy" visas without meeting humanitarian criteria, which was false
- It presents the fee as prioritizing "rich refugees" when the program was cost recovery within an existing cap
The claim would be more accurate if it acknowledged: "Proposed expanding a Labor-established pilot program allowing refugees with family in Australia to pay resettlement costs for faster processing, within the existing humanitarian intake cap."
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (5)
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1
Government plan to fast-track refugees in exchange for potential $19,000 fee
A refugee's visa application would be fast-tracked if they paid a potential $19,000 fee and their family in Australia promised to cover health and welfare costs, under proposals the Abbott government is weighing to cut refugee costs.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
2PDF
Cruel, costly and ineffective: The failure of offshore processing in Australia
Kaldorcentre Unsw Edu • PDF Document -
3PDF
'Fast Track' Refugee Status Determination - Research Brief
Unsw Edu • PDF Document -
4
Victims of Australia's 'failed' fast-tracked visa policy
Refugees are calling on federal MPs to help those who have been left in "more than 12 years of limbo and uncertainty".
SBS News -
5
By the numbers - 40 years of Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program
Canada
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.