“The main thing is what you say. You just have to tell them, ‘I am gay and it is my reality.’ There is no other way.”

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has pledged to deport up to 65,000 visa overstayers as part of a sweeping overhaul of Australia’s immigration system, warning that student and asylum pathways are being “exploited”.

The spokesperson, who requested anonymity, described the situation as unprecedented in their two decades of diplomatic service and said efforts were under way to have the individuals identified and returned to India.

The tribunal heard adviser coached a migrant on how to pay $70,000 for a fabricated role that would support a residence visa application, while advising him on how to conceal the arrangement from authorities.

Gurpreet Singh arrived in Canada on a temporary resident visa and worked as a religious worker at a Sikh temple.

The online petition, signed by nearly 50,000 people, many of whom are residents of PIF countries, was presented to the current foreign minister and leader of NZ First, Winston Peters.

According to the FBI, investigators arrested 10 people across several states while an 11th suspect, who had previously been deported to India, was also charged.

Immigration Minister Erika Stanford said compliance efforts had been stepped up to prevent exploitation, after Labour’s Phil Twyford questioned whether 16 prosecutions last year were sufficient.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong moved the motion on Tuesday, condemning Hanson’s remarks as “inflammatory and divisive” and reaffirming parliament’s support for migrant communities.

The resulting gap has been filled by the other seven participating countries, all of whose numbers have increased. Fiji, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste each have about 5,000 PALM workers in Australia, more than either Tonga or Samoa currently.