The Guardian reports
Recent changes to regulations on expats who live overseas have left many fearing they won’t be able to leave Australia if they come back
The Australian government’s new regulations barring expats who temporarily return home from leaving again could face a constitutional legal challenge.
Last week, the federal government quietly tightened the rules on Australians who live overseas but come home temporarily, removing the ability for them to leave the country without an exemption.
Such exemptions have been notoriously difficult to obtain during the pandemic.
Experts told Guardian Australia the changes, which take effect on 11 August, may be unconstitutional.
Now, the law firm Marque Lawyers has confirmed it is investigating a potential legal challenge. No decision has yet been made, but Marque is attempting to gather stories from expats who will be affected by the change.
“We have been engaged to look into the potential for a challenge to the legal validity of the new measures. No decision has been made as yet,” Marque managing partner Michael Bradley said.
