Australian politician Pauline Hanson has expressed strong support for the concept of mass deportations during a recent trip to the United Kingdom. Hanson met with Rupert Lowe, the founder and leader of the hard-right Restore Britain party, and was presented with a manifesto titled 'Mass Deportation,' which outlines plans to expel nearly two million people from the UK within three years.
During the meeting, filmed by Seven's Spotlight, Hanson reportedly said she was "very much on the same page" as Lowe and enthusiastically responded to the question of whether she thought mass deportation was a good idea by stating, "Oh, I love it."
Lowe's plan includes creating a "hostile environment" for undocumented immigrants by denying them access to welfare, housing, and healthcare services, aiming to make their presence in the country untenable. The manifesto details strategies to remove as many unauthorized immigrants as possible and encourage others to leave voluntarily.
Hanson, who has previously expressed concerns about immigration in Australia, claimed that a significant number of individuals enter the country, destroy their identification, overstay their visas, and pose as refugees. However, data presented by Seven indicated that Australia had approximately 77,700 illegal immigrants, primarily students and tourists from China, Malaysia, and the United States who remained after their visas expired.
In addition to her meeting with Lowe, Hanson also engaged with anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson. During a conversation published by Robinson, Hanson alleged that individuals from "Muslim areas" were exploiting Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). She further suggested that a large number of NDIS participants were from "Muslim areas" and were "ripping the system off," though she acknowledged that many other Australians also utilize the program.
Health and NDIS Minister Mark Butler stated he had not seen any data breaking down NDIS participants by nationality or religious background and questioned the origin of Hanson's figures. He also urged Hanson to explain her travel to Europe while Australians face cost-of-living challenges.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized Hanson's comments and her decision to meet with Robinson, calling Hanson "the most un-Australian politician in parliament."