Foreign spying in Australia reaches “unprecedented scale”
Australia is facing an “unprecedented” wave of foreign espionage, the nation’s domestic intelligence agency has warned.
According to the ABC, senior intelligence figures said countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, North Korea and Malaysia were known to monitor their nationals living in Australia while also seeking to silence those speaking out against their former governments.
Intelligence experts said most people do not have a full understanding of the extent of the threat, including how easily migrants and refugees can be recruited as spies, often against their will.
An Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) spokesperson said foreign espionage was occurring at an “unprecedented scale”.
“The security threat comes from the actions and intent of the small number of individuals who seek to do Australia harm,” the spokesperson told the ABC.
However, the spokesperson said the “actions of few” should not be taken as representative of the whole refugee community.
“It is critical that we avoid commentary that will instil fear and taint communities which make such a positive contribution to Australian life, economy and culture,” the spokesperson said.
Another intelligence expert said there are hundreds of spy recruits or agents operating in Australia today, with many of them having been blackmailed, threatened or coerced into gaining political information, recruiting other informants and conducting other illegal acts.
John Blaxland, professor in International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University said numerous countries have tried to use their diaspora living in Australia to influence decisions made by government bodies, corporations and education institutions in their favour. He said threats are often made against the expats’ jobs and family members.
The ABC report came after ASIO’s director general Duncan Lewis said the level of foreign interference and espionage is “higher than it has ever been”.
“It is an unprecedented level of activity … it’s not visible to most people,” Lewis told The Weekend Australian.
“It’s constant. Every day there is a discovery. Some of them are more alarming than others.”
Lewis said Australia’s case is not unique, as technological developments and “mass movement of people, goods and ideas” have intensified security challenges.
Lewis warned that the espionage threat shows no sign of slowing down, with widespread cyber-attacks and traditional spy craft as well as growing interference within Australia’s political system.
“The oversight mechanisms we have are substantial, [but] I think they need to be constantly under review,” he said. “They are not something you can set and forget.”