It has become harder for genuine Malaysian tourists to enter Australia due to previous cases of people abusing the system, according to a report.

The Australia-based news portal news.com.au quoted an unnamed source at the Malaysian consulate in Sydney claiming that more Malaysians are being turned away at the airport despite having their tourist visas approved before departure.

“They call us expecting us to help them get in but there is nothing that we can do once the decision to deport them has been made by the authorities,” the source was quoted as saying.

The source reportedly claimed that many Malaysians have also sought protection visas citing economic hardship, which make it harder for Malaysians to enter Australia.

If granted, an Australian protection visa grants access to “all facilities” including unlimited working rights, said the report published this morning.

The report also quoted an Australian government spokesperson confirming that most cases of visa abuse came from Malaysians, followed by China, USA, UK, and India. This is largely due to Malaysians taking jobs as fruit pickers without proper work permits.

It also quoted several Malaysians living in Australia claiming that their family members are facing tougher checks when coming to visit, which resulted in flight tickets going to waste.

However, the Department of Home Affairs spokesperson also denied that Malaysians were being treated differently at the border as a result of the recent abuses.

“Australia welcomes around 400,000 Malaysians to Australia every year for study, business and tourism purposes, but we also have robust processes in place to ensure people do not exploit our visa system,” the spokesperson said.

“Before travelling to Australia, people need to make sure they hold the correct type of visa,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The spokesperson reportedly said that Malaysians are eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for short-term tourism activities and certain business activities.

However, some online ETA applications could not be processed electronically because more information is required to ensure applicants are genuine short-term tourists or business visitors.

“Recently, a number of visa scams have emerged in Malaysia.

“These scams may take the form of agents offering visas and flights to Australia for people to work illegally.

“The Australian government is concerned that many Malaysians are being taken in by these scams and appeals to Malaysians to understand what their visa allows them to do.

“Visitor visas, including ETAs, do not provide work rights in Australia.

“People found to be working illegally in Australia face having to pay for the cost of their removal and being banned from returning to Australia for three years, so travellers should carefully check their visa conditions before visiting Australia,” the spokesperson reportedly said.