Rupert Murdoch slams Australia as ‘racist’ for tightening visa laws

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has taken to task his homeland of Australia for new rules that tighten visa requirements on skilled alien workers.

Mr. Murdoch says the language the government uses is “disgraceful and racist,” Agence France-Presse reports. He’s referring to 457-class laws that guide how employers might hire skilled workers.

The number of 457 visa workers grew by more than 21 percent in one year, AFP reports. Australia’s Labor Party says this growth in 457 visas has surpassed national employment numbers — and that means “the program is being increasingly driven by temporary visa holders seeking to remain in Australia instead of the demands of the Australian labor force,” the government’s immigration department said in a statement reported by AFP.

So, government officials are seeking to crack down on the 457 program and curb perceived abuses. But Mr. Murdoch sees racism, not economics or abuse, at play.

“I think the way that they’re talking about the 457 is pretty disgraceful and racist, but I’m a big one for encouraging immigration, I think that’s the future,” Mr. Murdoch told Sky News.