Australian gov't to deport 173 foreign-born criminals

One hundred and seventy-three foreign-born criminals in the state of Victoria will have their visas cancelled and be deported from Australia, the Federal government has announced.

Of the 173 who will be liable to deportation on completion of their jail terms, 23 were found guilty of child sex offences, two of murder, 23 of drug offences and two of car-jackings with links to the violent street gang known as Apex.

Peter Dutton, Australia's Minister for Immigration, said that migrants committing crimes in Australia would not be tolerated.

"Australia is a generous nation and we settle a record number of people in our country each year, but we won't hesitate to cancel visas of people who commit crimes against Australians," Dutton told News Limited on Monday.

Under laws introduced in 2014, Dutton has the ability to cancel visas of those non-citizens who either fail to pass a character test or who have been convicted of an offence involving a jail term of more than 12 months.

The laws were initially intended to be used to kick out foreign-born members of violent motorbike gangs but in April the Government used them to deport an associate of the Apex gang back to New Zealand.

Jason Wood, a government backbencher and former police officer whose Melbourne electorate of La Trobe has been hit hard by the city's violent crime wave, said he welcomed the visa cancellations.

"This action sends a crystal-clear message that they will be booted back to their home country," Wood told News Limited.

The total number of visa-holders to have been expelled nationwide since the laws were introduced is more than 1,500. Endit