Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has backed Donald Trump’s contentious travel ban, saying the US president has a mandate to pursue the change.



Dutton told the Seven Network on Tuesday morning the US, like Australia, had a “sovereign right” to determine who entered the country and Trump would say he had a mandate after the presidential election to implement the policy.

“We have a sovereign right to determine who comes across our borders and the US went to an election with millions of Americans very concerned about migration policy and president Trump has the mandate, he would say, to implement policy,” Dutton said.

The minister said the ban, which prevents people from seven countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – entering the US for 90 days was a temporary policy.

Asked whether he supported the policy, Dutton said: “Well I think it is important for Australia to support the United States and the US is a good friend to us, a good ally and has been for a long time and I hope into the future as well.”

Dutton’s comments came before the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, confirmed that Australian dual citizens will not be affected by the travel ban.

Turnbull told Sky News on Tuesday morning: “Our ambassador has just called me to say that he’s had assurances, confirmation from the White House, that Australian passport holders, regardless of their place of birth or whether they are dual nationals, or whether they hold another passport, will remain welcome to come and go to the United States in the usual way.

“It means Australian passport holders will be able to travel to the United States in the same way as they were able to prior to the executive order of 27 January.”

The development followed an intervention by the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, late on Monday, when she indicated Australia would press to gain the same exemptions that the US had granted to the UK and Canada.

Earlier on Monday, the prime minister had played down the impact of the ban, saying the government was unaware of Australians facing difficulties and he would not telegraph publicly Australia’s private diplomatic efforts.

On the defensive after criticism that he had not followed other world leaders and close allies of the US in condemning the travel ban on the basis it is discriminatory and potentially illegal, Turnbull told reporters in a brief press conference his job was to act in Australia’s best interest.

“When I have frank advice to give to an American president I give it privately, as good friends should,” the prime minister said.

Political leaders in Canada and the UK have been openly critical of the travel ban but have still been given exemptions by the US government.

Asked whether Australia should follow the lead of the US, Dutton gave a slightly qualified answer: “I think we’re happy with the settings that we’ve got now.

“We welcome people from four corners of the earth but we’ve got probably the toughest approach in the world in terms of scrutinising individual applications.”

Dutton also echoed Trump’s arguments that the travel ban was not a move against Muslims.

“If it was a blanket ban against Muslims, or against a particular religion, then that’s the policy that they would have implemented,” Dutton said. “They’ve put in place a ban against seven countries. It is a temporary ban.”

The LNP backbencher George Christensen has welcomed the travel ban and has argued the Turnbull government should implement a similar policy.