Labor's move to toughen immigration laws has been criticised by the Greens and members of the crossbench, who argue it looks "eerily similar" to US President Donald Trump's Muslim ban.
On Tuesday, Assistant Citizenship Minister Julian Hill introduced urgent amendments to the Migration Act 1958 aimed at stopping people from some countries from entering Australia on temporary visas and then seeking to stay permanently because of the conflict in the Middle East.
The move came only hours after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke accepted asylum applications from members of the Iranian women's football team, who are currently in Australia for the Asian Cup.
Under the proposal, Mr Burke could issue an "arrival control determination" to stop temporary visa holders from certain regions travelling to Australia in order to "protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia's immigration system".
The bill — which the Coalition supports in principle — could be used to prevent Iranian tourists from travelling to Australia if their visas were issued before the United States and Israel attacked Tehran last month.
Senator Lidia Thorpe said the government was adopting migration policies from the far-right One Nation, arguing the changes look "eerily similar to Donald Trump's Muslim ban".
"It's a racist dog whistle that will target Black and brown people. It looks like Labor wants to drag this country back towards the days of the White Australia policy," she said.
"If we want to understand why Islamophobia and racism against Black and brown communities is rising in this country, we only need to look at the example being set by the Albanese government."
Mr Hill said the bill "will allow temporary restrictions on the arrival of certain classes of temporary visa holders in Australia where it is necessary to protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia's immigration system".
"This includes when events or circumstances outside Australia mean that there is an increased risk that certain temporary visa holders will not depart," he added.
However, Senator Thorpe said the new laws would be weaponised against people of colour, "who are always treated as suspects", and claimed they would not be used against people from "Israel or Ukraine" seeking refuge in Australia.
"They will be used against Muslim and Arab people being displaced by the United States and Israel's illegal attacks in Iran and elsewhere — conflicts the Albanese government continues to back," she said.
"We cannot allow Australia to slide further down this dangerous path. Racist migration policies have no place in this country, and the Albanese government has a duty to assist people seeking refuge, particularly from places where this country is complicit in violence."
Shadow Home Affairs Minister Jonno Duniam said the opposition would back the changes.
"They are laws that make sense, our national security, our migration system operates in a way that is to the benefit of our country," he said on Tuesday.
Independent MP Zali Steggall said the bill lacked safeguards and warned it set "a dangerous precedent".
"It completely undermines our visa system and it is racist," she said, as reported by Guardian Australia. "It is clearly targeted at one group but could be abused by any subsequent government to target any other group."
Greens leader Larissa Waters also criticised the announcement, calling it a "new low" and an "appalling act of cruelty".
"From backing and resourcing an illegal war, raining down bombs on civilians to then shutting the door on those same civilians who have the legal right to enter our country, you cannot get more morally bankrupt or hypocritical than that," she said.
