DIMIA Annual Report 2002-03
Review by the Secretary
The key role of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) is to manage and provide advice on migration and humanitarian policy, border control, Australian citizenship, multicultural affairs, settlement services and Indigenous affairs.
The department operates in an often difficult and uncertain global environment and continues to respond well to the challenges it faces in managing our programs.
MIGRATION PROGRAM
Australia's 2002-03 Migration Program was delivered on target.
It was the largest in a decade and the most highly skilled ever.
The Program was delivered at the upper end of the announced planning range, with an outcome of 108,070 and a Skill Stream outcome of 66,050 or 61.1 per cent of the Program.
Australia continued to attract highly skilled migrants and respond to genuine close family reunion claims.
In general terms skilled migrants were younger, had better English language skills, were more highly qualified and were targeted towards meeting national skill shortages.
HUMANITARIAN PROGRAM
The department continues to focus particular effort on improving the operation of Australia's humanitarian resettlement program.
A total of 12,525 humanitarian visas were issued during 2002-03, including 11,656 offshore.
Offshore visa issues were up 38 per cent compared to the previous year, reflecting increased availability of places as a result of reduced unauthorised arrivals and consequently lower demand for onshore refugee places.
Processing times, particularly for refugees resettled under the program were considerably reduced.
The department signed an Emergency Rescue Agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees which set out procedures for referral to Australia of individual refugees requiring immediate resettlement because of life-threatening situations.
Key source regions for the program were Africa, the Middle East and South West Asia.
TEMPORARY ENTRY
Concerns about terrorism, the war in Iraq, the economic downturn in a number of key tourism markets, and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic had a significant but short term impact on international travel.
Although there was a three per cent decline in the number of Visitor visas issued in 2002-03 compared to 2001-02, 98 per cent of all applications were approved.
Student visa grants increased by seven per cent, reflecting the continuing growth of the education export industry, 977 Business Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) grants recorded a nine per cent increase and grants of Working Holiday visas held up with a four per cent increase.
The increase to 47 per cent of applications lodged electronically reflects better client service and greater operational efficiency.
During 2002-03, the International Event Coordinator Network played an active role in the entry of 94,000 overseas delegates to international events and conferences in Australia - a significant increase on the 25,000 delegates in the previous year.
An important point to note is that, as a result of proactive work by the department, Visitor visa approval rates increased and non-return rates declined, a sign that genuine travellers were receiving better service and non-genuine travellers deterred.
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
Reflecting the crucial importance of international cooperation in dealing with migration issues, the department continued to support the Ministers in an active program of international engagement aimed at promoting orderly migration, combating irregular migration and people smuggling and benchmarking our policies and practices in areas like settlement and citizenship.
This program of activity included working both multilaterally and bilaterally with source countries, countries of first asylum and transit countries as well as other destination countries.
Relationships with key countries were strengthened, cooperative agreements signed and practical cooperation implemented through measures such as capacity building projects.
This high level of international cooperation was instrumental in limiting unauthorised arrivals to Australia and facilitating the return to the country of origin of people with no right to remain in Australia.
In April 2003, Australia co-chaired with Indonesia the second Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and related Transnational Crime.
The outcome of the conference included renewed commitment by participating states to pursue more effective measures for border management and dealing with people smuggling in the region.
The department also supported the government's agenda for the promotion of managed migration and improvements to the system of international protection.
This included working with UNHCR and other states to promote more comprehensive and innovative approaches to the management of refugee and asylum seeker flows.
BORDER SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE
Apart from illegal fishers and stowaways, no unauthorised boat arrivals occurred in 2002-03, compared to 1,277 in 2001-02 and 4,137 in 2000-01.
In addition, there was a significant drop in unauthorised air arrivals.
The numbers in offshore centres reduced from 1,424 to 437 over the 12 month period.
The Manus processing centre no longer has any Australian caseload, but is being held in operational readiness.
Within Australia, the department faced a number of issues concerning unlawful activities or stay.
The department continued to work actively with other agencies to curb sex trafficking of women.
Through a successful program of compliance operations targeting businesses, the department also sought to reduce the number of unlawful non-citizens working illegally in Australia.
DETENTION
The year saw a marked reduction in unauthorised boat arrivals held in detention.
While there was a continued focus on the services provided to people in detention, the department also implemented new instructions for alternative detention arrangements for women and children.
Alternative detention arrangements were used for detainees with special needs.
The expansion of places at the Residential Housing Project at Woomera also provided further detention options.
Consultation on Residential Housing Projects for use in association with Baxter Immigration Detention Facility (IDF) and Port Hedland Immigration Reception and Processing Centre (IRPC) was also progressed.
The year saw the successful removal of significant numbers of detainees found not to be in need of Australia's protection and improved responsiveness to major disturbances at detention centres.
Despite the extensive and costly property damage from some disturbances there was no loss of life or major injuries.
Considerable departmental resources were also devoted to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) Children in Detention Inquiry and to increasingly complex public scrutiny of, and litigation over, detainee issues.
A preferred tenderer (Group 4 Falck Global Solutions) was announced for the new Detention Services contract and negotiations proceeded.