In the period 1999-2001, Australia experienced the phenomenon of thousands of people attempting to enter as unauthorised arrivals by sea in north western Australia with the assistance of people smugglers.

In the three program years from July 1999 to June 2002 some 9,160 unauthorised boat arrivals, principally from Afghanistan and Iraq, applied for Protection visas within Australia's migration zone.

These applications were considered progressively over the period 1999 to 2003 with final primary decisions being made in early 2003.

Of this group, to 30 June 2003 some 8,260 were found to require Australia's protection, the vast majority granted three-year Temporary Protection visas.

As at 30 June 2003, some 640 people were found not to require Australia's protection and had completed any merit or judicial review action (most of the remainder are seeking judicial review of decisions that they are not owed protection).

Over 410 people who were found not to require protection had departed Australia and fewer than 200 remained in detention (some of whom are pursuing further avenues of appeal to remain in Australia and some are awaiting removal).

Offshore Processing

Since the new arrangements of the Pacific Strategy came into operation (late September 2001), some 1,540 people have been accommodated in Offshore Processing Centres (OPCs) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru to enable consideration of their claims for international protection by Australian authorities and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Some 700 persons were resettled since the new arrangements came into operation: 637 were resettled in the financial year in six countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Canada.

Resettlement opportunities are expected to be implemented for the remaining 51 refugees early in the second half of 2003.

Of those transferred to OPCs who were found not to be in need of international protection, some 375 in the financial year left voluntarily to return to their country of origin or a third country, and a further 18 persons were otherwise resettled in New Zealand.

This left fewer than 440 as at 30 June 2003 awaiting return to their homeland.

In 1999-2000 there were some 4,180 unauthorised boat arrivals and in 2000-01 there were around 4,140.

In the 2001-02 financial year, prior to the Pacific Strategy arrangements coming into operation, there were some 1,280 unauthorised boat arrivals.

In 2001-02 after the Pacific Strategy arrangements were put into effect 1,770 people were intercepted, the majority of whom were transferred to OPCs. In 2002-03 there were no unauthorised boat arrivals.