MP urges check on migrants' religion

Sydeny, Australia - RELIGION should be made a factor in migration to Australia, according to a Liberal MP who says non-Christian applicants should be subject to greater scrutiny.

Liberal backbencher Alby Schultz also called yesterday for citizenship laws to be tightened, with more thorough background checks on people from countries with "a history of anti-Christian behaviour".

"We've got to tighten up on the way all people that come into this country -- particularly those people coming from a country with a history of anti-Christian behaviour -- apply for citizenship," Mr Schultz told The Australian, adding that there was strong support among government MPs for tougher laws.

"We need to think very, very carefully about ensuring all the security processes that we have in place are 100per cent. We cannot afford under the present uncertainty we have in the world, we can't afford to take any chances."

He slammed as "deplorable" an incident in which NSW Premier Morris Iemma wrote a ministerial reference for Mamadou Ndaw, who later became a close friend and associate of known terror suspects, including Frenchman Willie Brigitte.

Mr Ndaw, who has not been charged with any offence, later joined Mr Iemma's branch of the NSW Labor Party before he was deported from Australia for overstaying his visa.

Referring to the incident, Mr Schultz said yesterday the law should not allow referees to vouch for visa applicants without demonstrating close and longstanding association.

"The Government tightening up on the citizenship issue ... should have been done a long time ago for the good of the country," he said.

"You don't give people references unless you know them well and personally."

However, John Howard, in the wake of the arrests of 18 terrorism suspects this month, said he was not considering more hurdles to immigration based on country of origin.

"We won't be departing from our non-discriminatory immigration policy," the Prime Minister said at the time.

The Government last month introduced amendments to citizenship laws so that suspected terrorists could be barred from entering Australia on character grounds.

The Government is also considering changing the rules to allow dual citizens to be deported from Australia for participating in criminal acts.