DIMA Annual Report 1997-98
Sub-program 2.4: Border Control
Objective
Description
Performance information
Financial and staffing resources summary
Performance outcomes
Objective
To maintain effective border integrity.
Description
The Border Control sub-program has the key responsibility to ensure that Australia's immigration border is an effective barrier to the entry of persons who have no legal entitlement to enter.
It also has responsibility to prevent the travel to Australia and entry of those whose presence in Australia is not in the national or public interest, as defined in the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations.
In conjunction with the Australian Customs Service (Customs), the sub-program provides an immigration clearance service to international passengers at Australia's borders.
The processes adopted by both agencies assist in the identification of passengers of concern to the Australian community.
Policy and procedures for the sub-program are formulated and monitored by Border Control Branch in Central Office.
The sub-program's functions are delivered, in the States and Territories, by departmental staff as well as staff of the Australian Customs Service.
Outside Australia these functions are delivered by departmental officers on posting or on short-term missions.
Performance information
Outcomes are measured by the extent to which:
- travellers of concern are detected and prevented from entering Australia;
- the Movement Alert List continues to be enhanced;
- the effectiveness of character requirements for entry and stay in Australia are administered and enforced;
- visa issue improvements and initiatives are implemented;
- passenger processing delays are minimised at points of entry; and
- effective movement records are maintained.
Financial and staffing resources summary
1997-98 |
1997-98 |
1996-97 |
|
| Budgetary (cash) basis | |||
| Components of appropriations | |||
| Annual appropriations | |||
| Running costs | 20 100 |
25 056 |
n/a |
| Other program costs | 0 |
0 |
n/a |
| Total appropriations | 20 100 |
25 056 |
n/a |
| Less adjustments | 0 |
0 |
n/a |
| Total outlays | 20 100 |
25 056 |
n/a |
| Total revenue | 3 700 |
6 665 |
n/a |
| Staffing | |||
| Staff years (actual) | 196 |
182 |
n/a |
Due to program restructures in both 1996–97 and 1997–98, sub-program figures for 1996–97 actuals are not meaningful for comparative purposes to 1997–98 figures. They have therefore not been included in this table.
[ Top Of Page ]Performance outcomes
(i) The detection of travellers of concern
In response to a global increase in people trafficking and other types of irregular movements, efforts have been enhanced to detect inadmissible passengers.
There were 626 such travellers intercepted outside Australia by DIMA airline liaison officers and airline staff in 1997–98. This is an increase on those people intercepted in the previous two years: 436 in 1996–97 and 302 in 1995–96.
There were 1 555 passengers refused entry at Australian arrival points as a result of detected irregularities with their travel documents. These included passengers holding bogus documents, or seeking to enter Australia for purposes other than in keeping with their visa conditions.
[ Top Of Page ]Table 2.4 (a): Number of people (and reasons) refused immigration clearance
| Refused for: | Totals |
Totals |
Totals |
| Document fraud | 837 |
825 |
299 |
| Non bona fide visa holders | 554 |
364 |
213 |
| Other reasons | 92 |
83 |
144 |
| Facilitators of irregular entry | 72 |
78 |
7 |
| Totals | 1 555 |
1 350 |
663 |
Multifaceted efforts have continued throughout 1997–98 to prevent the attempted unlawful entry by people to Australia, including:
- the use of DIMA airport liaison officers and specialist compliance officers at airports and Australian missions overseas;
- participation in multinational airport interdiction exercises to detect and prevent immigration malpractice;
- fraud assessments and case-load analysis at overseas posts; and
- close cooperation with the airline industry, including the training of airline staff.
Torres Strait
The Department's border operations in the Torres Strait were subject to an extensive departmental review in 1997, leading to a number of recommendations for enhanced security. These recommendations will be implemented in
1998–99. The Department has also been involved in a number of initiatives to improve border security in the Torres Strait, which are part of the National Illicit Drug Strategy.
[ Picture - Thursday Island office staff: Regional Manager Patimah Malone, Ann-Marie Titasey and
(ii) Movement Alert List
The program of enhancements to the Movement Alert List system are designed to increase the Department's capacity to detect travellers of concern, particularly those posing a high risk to Australia. They are also designed to ensure genuine travellers are not inconvenienced by being mistakenly matched against people of known concern.
Initiatives undertaken in 1997–98 include:
- new name-matching software installed in November 1997 improved the Department's ability to match visa or citizenship applicants against its alert list, even where personal details have been altered; and
- alerts were categorised by risk and a greater proportion of computer and human resources are now devoted to detecting those people who pose the greatest risk to the Australian community.
(iii) Character requirements
The Migration Act 1958 confers responsibility on the Minister and his delegates for regulating the entry of non-citizens into Australia. In addition to powers of detention and removal of unlawful noncitizens, the Act contains a number of character related powers, which include criminal deportation and visa cancellation on character grounds.
[ Top Of Page ]Deportation
Criminal deportation can be considered against permanent residents who, in the first ten years of residence, commit an offence for which they are sentenced to imprisonment for one year or more.
In 1997–98 some 60 criminals (34 in 1996–97) were deported and 111 deportation orders (92 in 1996–97) were served.
The subprogram substantially improved the timeliness of these decisions, increasingly ensuring that any appeal processes are completed before possible release dates and so reducing time spent in immigration detention.
At 30 June 1998, decisions had already been made on 91 of the 157 criminals liable to deportation and likely to be released in 1998–99.
The Joint Standing Committee on Migration conducted an inquiry into Australia's deportation arrangements to ensure that the Australian community is properly protected against the activities of criminal elements who are not Australian citizens.
The Committee tabled its report on 29 June 1998. The Minister will now review the legislation and policy on deportation in the light of the Committee's report.
Character requirements
In relation to controversial visa applicants, 115 applicants (192 in 1996–97) were referred by processing offices for advice and 13 (28 in 1996–97) were refused visas:
- one (seven in 1996–97) failed to satisfy public interest criterion 4001 (character);
- eight (15 in 1996–97) failed to satisfy public interest criterion 4002 (national security); and
- four (six in 1996–97) failed to satisfy public interest criterion 4003 (foreign relations).
There were 20 visas (17 in 1996–97) cancelled on character grounds, of which 10 (four in 1996–97) were cancelled in Australia.
Consistent with the Government's 1996 election commitment, legislation was developed to strengthen the operation of the character requirement. This legislation was passed by the House of Representatives during the Spring 1997 sittings and, at 30 June 1998, is awaiting debate by the Senate. The legislation will also simplify decision making associated with the character requirement.
[ Top Of Page ]War crimes
The Department chairs an inter-departmental working group (comprising representatives from the AttorneyGeneral's Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Customs Service and the Office of National Assessments) responsible for implementing Australia's obligations to assist the work of the International War Crimes Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
The details of 159 visa applicants were referred to the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (129 in 1996–97) for screening.
(iv) Visa issue improvements
In 1997–98 the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) became widely accepted as the preferred means of obtaining authority to travel to Australia. The key facts are:
- over two million ETAs have been issued since its inception in September 1996; and
- in those countries where ETAs are available, on average 93.6 percent of all visas are issued as ETAs.
Globally, over 70 percent of short-term visas are now issued as ETAs. This indicates the success of the application of advanced technology in removing the difficulties of visa issue.
[ Top Of Page ]Table 2.4 (b): Numbers by main countries by per cent
ETAs (subclasses 976, 977 and 956) as a percentage of tourist and short term business entry visas (subclasses 976, 977 and 956 plus 676 and 456) – Jan. – June 98
| Country | Percentage (%) |
| Andorra | 0.00 |
| Austria | 68.68 |
| Belgium | 84.73 |
| Brunei | 75.08 |
| Canada | 96.18 |
| Denmark | 100.00 |
| Finland | 100.00 |
| Germany | 89.81 |
| Greece | 59.11 |
| Iceland | 100.00 |
| Ireland | 91.50 |
| Italy | 90.20 |
| Japan | 93.23 |
| Korea | 96.63 |
| Liechtenstein | 0.00 |
| Luxembourg | 100.00 |
| Malaysia | 96.36 |
| Malta | 0.58 |
| Monaco | 0.00 |
| Netherlands | 87.33 |
| Norway | 100.00 |
| Singapore | 93.51 |
| Sweden | 56.93 |
| Switzerland | 100.00 |
| UK | 97.35 |
| USA | 96.01 |
| Average | 93.60 |
| In other countries | 9.50 |
| Total | 71.00 |
(v) Passenger processing
In conjunction with Customs, clearance times at international airport primary lines were maintained with 95.5 per cent (95.8 per cent in 1996–97) of passengers cleared within 30 minutes of arrival.
The formula used to determine clearance times assumes a 10 minute delay between aircraft arrival and the time a passenger arrives at the Entry Control Point. The average individual processing time in immigration clearance was 53 seconds (52 seconds in 1996–97).
Chart 2.4 (1): Passengers processed within 30 minutes (as a percentage of total)
See: Chart 2.4 (1)
[ Top Of Page ]
Chart 2.4 (2): Average passengers processing time
See: Chart 2.4.(2)
There was an increase of 2.7 per cent in passenger traffic to 14.9 million (14.5 million in 1996–97). Passengers processed per Average Staff Year (ASY) increased to more than 184 236 (166 403 in 1996–97).
Even though the volume of passengers has increased, a marginal increase due to the Asian economic downturn, there was no increase in processing times.
The continued maintenance of processing times can be attributed to increased productivity, training and new passenger processing technology including the Advance Passenger Clearance (APC) system.
Advance Passenger Processing
During 1997–98, 16 per cent of passengers arriving at international airports were processed under APC arrangements.
Advance Passenger Processing (APP), a new system developed as a hybrid of the APC and Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) systems, will be the key system to control and facilitate passengers through international airports by the year 2000 when Sydney hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
[ Top Of Page ]Olympics
The Olympics Coordination Section services the needs of the Minister, the Ministerial Committees, sub-committees and working groups and coordinates DIMA's involvement in the Games.
It acts as the Secretariat to the Group on Olympic Arrivals and Departures (GOAD), an interdepartmental committee of senior officers, which reports to the Ministerial Committee on the Sydney 2000 Games.
The Olympics Coordination Section also sits on forums, such as the Visitor Information Campaign Committee, the Off-Airport Processing Centre Working Group and the Aviation Security Working Group.
Critical to the success of the Games is the development and implementation of a computer system which links the Sydney Organising Committee on the Olympic Games (SOCOG) data base of participants with DIMA systems (including warning lists).
This link will enhance entry and accreditation arrangements for athletes, officials and other Olympic Family members coming to Australia for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Work within the sub-program relating to the 2000 Games continues; the principal foci are on special arrangements for entry of family members of Olympians and Paralympians, and systems enhancements to support these arrangements.
[ Top Of Page ]Administration
The Department participated in an Inter-departmental Committee (IDC) on the rationalisation of border activities, which addressed possible areas of duplication between the Department, the Australian Customs Service (ACS) and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS), to recommend to Ministers on alternative structures to achieve greater efficiency.
The IDC reported to Government in April 1998, and a task force is to undertake further assessment of the identified options.
Passenger documentation
On 1 July 1998, new incoming and outgoing passenger declaration documentation was introduced.
The documents were developed after wide consultation including border agencies and those bodies, in particular the tourism industry, which rely on the statistics obtained from the passenger cards.
The one new incoming document replaced the previous Incoming Passenger Card and Travellers Statement. The new outgoing document is a revision of the previous Outgoing Passenger Card.
(vi) Movement records
Around 14.9 million records of movements were processed, an increase of 3.3 per cent over the final figure for 1996–97 of 14.5 million records of movements.
The Department provides the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) with statistical information concerning people arriving in and departing from Australia. These statistics are processed by the ABS for uses including updating Census information and calculating the effects of population flows.
Around 49 216 inquiries from the Department, law enforcement agencies, Commonwealth and State authorities and individuals seeking confirmation of personal records were attended to. This was a 45.8 per cent increase on
1996–97. The responses included 799 court statements, a 12.2 per cent decrease on 1996–97.
[ Top Of Page ]Table 2.4 (c): Agency inquiries to the international movements data base
| Agency | Subject checks |
| Law enforcement | 4 618 |
| DSS/Centrelink | 7 336 |
| DIMA | 26 930 |
| Australian Taxation Office (ATO) | 5 353 |
| Other | 4 979 |
| Total | 49 216 |